I'll Stay By You
by Teliko. x3
Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.
1. Chapter 1

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: So... I've been writing/thinking about this idea for a long time and I just realized that maybe I should publish it to see if it's any good to begin with. This is just a little preview and if I get enough reviews/interested people, then I'll finish it :) Sorry for any grammar mistakes. Hope you guys enjoy!  
**

**:]  
**

* * *

AUGUST

The campus was bustling with hurried students and professors who were walking to class, meeting up at the coffee shop on campus, or just hanging around with each other. She pulled her car into the student parking lot behind the Biology building and couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. It was her last year as an undergraduate and even though she had years left in her education, that didn't stop her from getting out of her car with a smile on her face. She walked up to the building while checking her purse and making sure that she had everything for the day.

Reaching the building, she held out her hand to push open the familiar glass door, but stopped when the cool glass didn't come into contact with her hand. Instead, she looked up and found Daniel holding the door open with one hand and presenting her with her senior thesis in the other. She gave him a shy smile and tucked her bangs behind her ear.

"I must say... it was impressive," he congratulated her, ushering her into the building and letting the door close behind them.

"Well I worked very hard on it. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Together, they walked down the hallway and to the elevator that would take them up to the floor his office was on. Upon entering his office, she accepted her paper back and placed it into her school bag as he placed all of his things down on his desk. She took a seat on a small couch that was pushed against the wall and watched as he scrambled to organize his things for his first lecture.

"Before I forget," he muttered to himself while putting his notes into his briefcase. After zipping it back up, he reached behind him and grabbed a folder, then plopped it down on the desk in front of her. "I was going over this last night, comparing the new curriculum to the older one... you're missing an elective, Dana."

She tilted her head in confusion and pushed herself off from the couch a little, trying to decide if he was messing with her head or telling her the truth.

"Economics 300," he read off the paper, then placed it back down on the desk for Scully to look at. Shuffling to her feet, she grabbed her transcript and brought it up to look at.

"What... How? I should've taken this already. How did I miss this?" She shook her head, then sighed. "What if I don't take it?"

Daniel picked up his briefcase and pulled his glasses down.

"You don't graduate." Her mouth opened a little, panic starting to rush into her. "Go schedule it." Then, he was gone.

–

His apartment was dark... quiet. He was sprawled out on his couch, a thin blanket covered him. Dirty gym clothes were laid out around the room- hanging over the chair, across his desk, over his bookshelf, and even over his fish bowl. His eyes fluttered open and just as he began to wake up, he could hear the heels of his girlfriend advancing closer. The doorknob rattled and before he could get up from the couch, Diana opened the front door and gasped when she saw him still laying on the couch.

"Fox! What are you doing? You have class at nine!" Her voice, loud and right in his ear, made him wince and slowly get up from the couch. "How do you expect to graduate if you can't make it to class on time?"

"What time is it?" He asked, running his hands across his face to fully wake him up.

"Eight-thirty."

"Aw come on. I've still got thirty minutes," he whispered, getting up from the couch. The pajama pants he wore hung dangerously low on his hips as he walked across the living room, into the kitchen where she sat. "Alright, alright. I'll go."

Minutes later, he emerged from his bedroom wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He walked up behind her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and left the apartment. Halfway there, he checked his watch and the sudden realization had hit him. His first class had gotten canceled due to the professor still being out of town.

Turning back around, he made it back to his apartment to find Diana still there. Her head turned when he walked through the door and she sighed. He held up his hands in defense before she could get mad.

"Professor is still out of town. I don't have class until two o'clock. _That's_ why I slept in." He walked past her to get to the living room, where he took a seat on the couch and turned on the television.

"Fox... look at this," she said, holding up his transcript. "You're missing an elective," she pointed out. "Economics 300?" She looked confused, as did he.

"What? No way! I took that with John two years ago!"

"Well you must have dropped it... there's a 'W' next to the class."

He let the remote fall from his hands and onto the floor.

"Shit..."

–

The class had already started and Mulder peeked through the small window encased in the door to see just how full the class was. Turning around, he checked the time and reasoned that he was only five minutes late. Tightening the straps on his booksack, he pushed open the door as quietly as he could and stepped into the classroom. He passed through the back row and took the only open seat available. Once he was settled into his desk, he let his booksack fall to the floor and observed the class.

The professor was a middle-aged woman who had dirty blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail and wore jeans. He honestly couldn't tell if she was excited to be teaching the class or if she wanted to leave just as badly as he did. Directly in front of him sat two girls who highlighted everything in the book. To his right was a guy who had already managed to fall asleep and drool on his desk. To his right sat a girl with red hair that stopped just above her shoulders. She was paying attention to the lecture, but seemed just as bored as he was. She wore a burgundy shirt with white letters on the back that spelled out the name 'Scully' and the number '39' just below it.

It wasn't long before the teacher had wrapped up her introduction and announced to the class that they were starting chapter one. The girl next to him turned slightly to reach down for her bag. While reaching down for her notebook, her eyes met Mulder's and she for a second, forgot what she had reached down for in the first place. He offered up a smile, which she returned shyly. She straightened up in her chair, trying to hide the blush that spread across her cheeks, and opened up her notebook to start writing her notes.

Mulder took his eyes off of her just long enough to realize he had only brought a pen to class and then looked back at her with a grin. Leaning over, he got close beside her to whisper.

"May I borrow a piece of paper...?" He left the question hanging, encouraging her to announce her name.

"Dana," she whispered back. "And yes, you may." She ripped a few sheets of paper out from her notebook and handed them over to him.

"My name is Mulder, just in case you were wondering." She playfully rolled her eyes and softly laughed at his attempt to flirt. "Thank you again, Dana." She flashed him one of her brilliant smiles and nodded.

"Don't mention it, Mulder."

* * *

**A/N: So there's chapter one. Looks promising? Send me a review and let me know! I kinda wanna make a playlist for this so you guys can listen to all the songs that inspire this story. :) Again, sorry for any grammar mistakes! :) Hope you liked it.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: I have reviews! You guys are so awesome and I love you all! I'll totally finish it now that I know you guys like it. Also, I started a playlist and I'll hook you guys up with the link so you can listen to all the songs in my profile. Sorry for any grammar mistakes and I hope you guys like this second chapter! Thank you for reading!  
**

**:]  
**

* * *

After the class was over, she packed up and bid Mulder goodbye one last time, adding after that she'd see him again Wednesday in class. He nodded and watched her walk out of the classroom before he even began to pack up his things. She had her eyes set on the building across the large courtyard. She made it to the Biology building and went up to the second floor, where Daniel's office was. She sat there for a few minutes before he walked in, surprised to see her, but happy that she was there.

"Dana," he greeted her. "Out of class so soon?"

"Just finished for the day. What about you?"

"I still have two classes to teach and I'll be stuck grading papers."

"Do you need any help," she offered, standing from the couch and making her way to his desk and leaning up against it.

"As tempting as that sounds, Dana, I wouldn't want you stuck here all day grading papers. Besides, you should be studying." After Daniel had grabbed the notes for his two lectures coming up, he rounded the desk and came face to face with her. "Speaking of, how's that Economics class?"

"It was... fun."

–

On his way back to the campus apartments, he ran into his best friend, John. They moved off to the side, near Mulder's parked car.

"How's your classes," Mulder asked, after going through the motions of asking about family and life in general.

"They're alright. I'm just putting up with it because this is my last year." Mulder nodded. "What about you?"

"They're okay, I guess. I got stuck in Economics again though."

"I thought you took that with me?"

"I thought I did too! I forgot that I had dropped the class."

"From what I remember, there were a lot of underclassmen in that class. Any cute ones?" John asked, nudging his friend with his shoulder. Mulder grinned. "Oh shit," Doggett exclaimed. "No way, Mulder! It's probably illegal! And Diana... holly hell. Diana would rip that poor girl apart."

"I don't think she's a freshman. She looked way older," Mulder reasoned. "And Diana doesn't even know. I just think the girl is cute. I didn't even get to talk to her that much... she's harmless."

"You be careful with that one, man. The ones that seem harmless are always the ones that turn your world upside down."

–

The class met up again on Wednesday and Mulder had made it a priority to get there a little early. Walking into the classroom, he nearly laughed at himself. He had never made getting to class early a priority... at least the ones he didn't care about, anyway. This girl he had talked to once was making him come to class early.

To his surprise, she was already sitting down with her notebook in front of her as she read over her notes from the class before. They were the only two people in the room and class didn't start for at least another half hour. When she heard the door open, she looked over her shoulder and their eyes met instantly. He smiled at her and crossed the room to have a seat next to her.

"Well... you're here early," she commented as he settled in the chair next to her.

"So are you," he replied with a grin.

"I had nothing else to do," she said, trying to defend herself.

"There are plenty of things to do around here for a freshman." She cocked one eyebrow up and gave him a look.

"I happen to be a senior. This is my last year." Mulder grinned.

"Really? Me too. Who'd you tick off to get stuck in this class, Scully?" It took everything she had to not smile, but the corners of her mouth began to lift.

"No one. I guess I got so consumed in my school work that I forgot to schedule this elective... and if I don't take it, I don't graduate."

"Well that makes two of us." She smiled fully this time.

"Then I guess we better pass it."

For the rest of the half hour, they talked and made conversation. They laughed at each others embarrassing high school stories and listened to how both of their past relationships had failed. By the time the professor had walked in to start class, she nearly had to shut them up so she could begin.

After class was over, Scully began packing her things. Mulder sat back and watched her, not particularly happy about waiting another day to see her again. When she stood from her chair with her bag thrown over her shoulder, she offered him a smile.

"I'll see you Friday?" He nodded.

"Bright and early."

–

Walking into the student union, he looked around for anyone he knew before heading to the small cafeteria that served students. He walked down the hallway and when he entered the room, spotted a small redhead next to the salad bar. She was leaning up on her toes, reaching for an already prepared chef's salad and clutching a bottle of water. He smiled and walked up behind her, grabbing the particular salad she was after and watched as she sharply turned on her heels to come face to face with him. When she realized it was him, though, she let out a huge sigh and shook her head in amusement.

"Couldn't wait until Friday to see me again," she joked. He laughed, but if she only knew how true her statement held.

"It's not my fault you followed me here," he laughed, still holding onto her salad. "What do you say? Would you like to have lunch with me?" He noticed the smile that was starting to spread across her face and he knew he had her. Finally, she nodded her head and pushed him playfully to get him out of her way. Quickly, he grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water from a close by shelf and moved over to the register where she waited. Before she could even pull out her money, Mulder had his wallet out and motioned that all of the food was for him.

"Mulder!" Her jaw dropped a little when he handed over the money and proceeded to grab all of their food, refusing to let her pay or carry anything. "You didn't have to do that!"

"I know. I wanted to. The least you could do is let me pay for my new friend's lunch." They walked away together, out into the dining area to find all the tables were taken.

"Well thank you."

"You're welcome," he said as he led her up the stairs and out onto the balcony of the second story. There were tables and benches spread out everywhere, and a raised ledge where students could look out over the entire campus. When she noticed he was headed straight for that ledge, she panicked.

"You don't want to eat a table," she asked, stopped right next to an unoccupied table. He just looked at her, shook his head, and chuckled.

"I always eat lunch up here," he explained to her as he climbed up onto the brick ledge, swinging his feet over. He looked back at her and saw her contemplating. "It's safe. I promise." After placing their food next to him on the ledge, he extended his hand to her. "Trust me?" Slowly walking towards him, she nodded and placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her up onto the ledge with him. She sat right next to him... close enough that their arms brushed against each others whenever they moved. "I can't believe you've never eaten lunch up here."

"Well I usually eat lunch with my other friend, but they've been really busy lately."

"I see," Mulder commented as he took a bite from his turkey sandwich. "And this friend..." He waited until he had her complete attention. "Anyone I know?" She hesitated, but not for long. After opening her salad and pouring her dressing, she picked up her fork and tossed the lettuce around.

"Probably not. He's not on campus that often."

"So it's a guy?" She looked up over the campus, still playing with her food, with a defeated look on her face. She knew he was going to drag this out as long as possible. "Are you sure he's just a friend?" Scully laughed.

"It is a crime for a girl to be just friends with a guy?"

"You kept the fact that your friend was a guy until it accidentally slipped. So either 'A', this guy is really your boyfriend or 'B', he's someone you just didn't want me to know about. Maybe both," he finished with a shrug and watched the amusement play out on her face.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a Psychology major."

"That is correct, Scully." She playfully shoved him and began to eat her salad. "Now which one is it?"

If anyone else had asked her such a personal question, she would have ignored them completely and went about her business. But she felt like she owed it to him, to know the truth. After all... they were friends now, weren't they?

"Alright." She forcefully opened her bottle of water and tried her hardest not to smile. "He is someone that I happen to like, but I'm not going to fool myself into thinking he'd ever be interested in me."

"Why not?" The wind picked up and blew her hair around a little.

"I'm not sure. He's not the type... it's complicated," she finished quickly, rather in a frustrated voice. He raised his hands in defense and laughed.

"Okay. I get it. That wasn't so hard, was it?" She shook her head again and looked sideways, to meet his hazel eyes. He was between chewing another piece of his sandwich when he saw just how blue her eyes were.

"And what about you? Is there a girlfriend that's going to kill me for even talking to you?" Mulder finished his bite and grabbed a folded napkin to wipe his mouth. He looked out into the distance to avoid her blue eyes.

"If I answer that, do you promise you'll still be my friend?"

"Mulder, that's ridiculous. How old are we? Just because you have a girlfriend doesn't mean I'm going to have to stop being your friend."

"Well you obviously haven't met Diana," he muttered under his breath.

"What," she asked, with an amused grin. She nudged him a little with his side and took a sip from her bottle of water.

He nodded and then sighed. John was right. The harmless ones were the dangerous ones.

* * *

**A/N: LOL. I love jealous Mulder. Again, sorry for any grammar mistakes. My laptop is about to die and I forgot my charger at my apartment! Look for the playlist link in my profile! :] Review if you love it! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Here's chapter three! Sorry for the long wait! I'm on vacation at Orange Beach, Alabama with the family and they're driving me crazy. LOL. Sorry for any grammar mistakes! I hope you guys liked the playlist I put in my profile and I hope you guys like this chapter! Review and let me know how you liked it!  
**

**:]  
**

* * *

They had finished their lunch around the same time and decided to just sit together, looking out over the campus and talking about whatever came to their minds. Before long, she had offered to help him with the Economics homework, being that neither one of them had anything else to do for the rest of the day. Although, instead of actually completing any homework, they had managed to not answer a single question and continued talking.

"Mulder... we didn't get any homework done," she said, throwing her notebook down on the ledge and laughing softly.

"Alright, alright. Stop by my place tonight and I promise, we'll finish it," he offered, which threw her off a little. When he noticed the look on her face though, he was quick to add in something to make it more of a friendly offer. "If you want to."

She began to pack up her things and looked back at him. He was nodding his head suggestively, encouraging her to say yes. She laughed a little and zipped up her bag.

"Alright," she agreed. "But I'm bringing dinner since you paid for lunch." He held out his hand for her to shake.

"Deal."

After pointing out the campus apartments that were across the courtyard and letting her know what apartment number, he helped her off the ledge and gave her a quick, friendly hug before they separated.

–

Later that night, Mulder scurried around the apartment, trying to tidy things up for when Scully would show up. Diana wouldn't be home for a few more hours and if she did happen to come home early, he reasoned it was just two friends doing homework together. In the midst of straightening out the blanket on his couch, there was a soft knock coming from the door.

He rushed over and opened it, revealing a very anxious looking Scully with a brown paper bag in her arms. He took the food from her and ushered her in, closing and locking the door behind her.

"Make yourself comfortable," he said as he placed the bag down on the table and peeked inside. "Chinese?"

"Is that okay," she asked, taking off her bookbag and laying it down next to one of the kitchen table chairs. "It was on the way and I figured it was a safe bet."

"No, no... you did good." He began unpacking the food and setting it on the table. "Dinner and homework together or one before the other?"

"Together is fine." He nodded and excused himself for a moment to retrieve his own homework. When he came back with his books, he found her sitting cross-legged in one of the chairs, flipping through her book with an open container of noodles next to her. He took the empty seat next to her and quickly snatched the fork full of noodles from the container before she could get to it. She laughed and playfully pushed him, slightly knocking him back. "So we only have to go over chapters one through three, make notes, define the vocabulary, and answer the chapter questions." Mulder settled into the seat next to her and pulled out his own notebook and pen.

"I wish all my homework was this easy," he muttered before leaning over a little to get a better look at her book. As he skimmed through the first chapter, she took the opportunity to reach for the fried rice. "So how are we gonna do this? Make notes first and define the words as we get to them?" She nodded with a mouth full of food.

An hour and a half later, they had made it through all three chapters. The table was covered in loose pieces of paper, flash cards, highlighters, pens, and empty food containers. He had gotten up halfway through one of their many humorous conversations to get them something to drink. Leaning away from the fridge, he held up two beers and called out to her.

"It's either this or expired orange juice." She laughed and nodded her head. Leaving their completed homework behind, they moved into his living room and he offered they go stand out on the small balcony. He opened both beers and handed one to her, offering up a silent cheer. She touched her beer to his and took a long first sip. "So um... how'd you end up in Economics again?"

"Well... I was looking over my transcript and cross-checking to make sure I had everything and I noticed I was missing this class... so I hurried up and scheduled it." Mulder took a sip of his beer and leaned against the railing of the balcony. "How about you?"

"Diana... she noticed I was missing it." Scully nodded and brought her beer up to her lips. "She notices everything. I can't even get away without brushing my teeth." Scully laughed, taking another sip of beer. "Are you that controlling with your guy friend," he asked with a smirk on his face.

"I... No," she answered, slowly shaking her head. "I could care less what he does."

"Why can't there be more girls like you around," he muttered under his breath, avoiding her gaze.

"What's that supposed to mean," she asked with a big grin on her face. He shook his head.

"Nothing."

Behind them, the front door was being unlocked. In came a very frustrated Diana, carrying a load of grocery bags. She let them fall to the floor when she stepped into the kitchen and when she saw the mess on the table, let out a long sigh.

"Fox," she called out.

Out on the balcony, Scully held in her giggle. She looked at Mulder and mouthed out his first name in an amused expression. He rolled his eyes and nodded, then pushed himself away from the balcony and finished off the rest of his beer.

"Brace yourself," he warned in an playful tone. She held onto her beer and allowed him to lead her back into the apartment, where a surprised Diana waited for them. When all three of them met up, Mulder pointed to grocery bags that lay on the kitchen floor with his empty beer bottle. "The ice cream is melting," he commented with a sly grin.

"Fox, I didn't know we had company," Diana said with somewhat of a forced smile, refusing to look at Scully until it was absolutely necessary. Mulder could tell in an instant the jealousy that was most likely coursing through his girlfriend's body.

"Oh, yeah. Diana... this is my friend Dana." He looked sideways at Scully and extended his arm to present his girlfriend to her. "Scully, this is Diana." Scully offered up a friendly smile and extended her hand for Diana to shake, who did so reluctantly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Diana." The brunette nodded and gave her another weak smile.

"Likewise."

Mulder, aware of the growing tension, cut in.

"Yeah... Dana here came over to help with Economics homework." Diana looked back at the kitchen table and slowly, her hands came to rest on her hips.

"And dinner, so it looks like." Scully nodded and licked her lips nervously.

"Well Mulder bought us lunch, so I thought it was only fair if I fed him dinner." The smile on Mulder's face kept growing, only because he somewhat enjoyed seeing Diana in such an uncomfortable position. He viewed this as payback for all the times she had dragged him along to one of her families gatherings, where he knew absolutely no one.

It wasn't until Diana had turned her gaze directly on Mulder, her eyes locked on his, that Scully knew she had to leave. She slightly leaned into his side and handed him the almost empty beer she had been holding on to.

"Well, Diana... it was nice meeting you," Scully said one last time. "But it's getting late... I should probably head home," she explained, walking over to the table to pick up all of her notes and books. Mulder was quick to follow, helping her pick up the notes and pack her bag. "I guess I'll see you Friday?"

"Sure... but let me walk you to your car, at least."

Scully, standing in front of Mulder and blocked from Diana's sight, gave him one of her panic faces. He silently laughed and nodded.

"Diana, I'll save the groceries. Just... relax. I'll be back in a few." And with that, Mulder ushered Scully out of the apartment in a hurry, before Diana had time to come up with some excuse. When he shut the door, Scully stood back and waited for Mulder to catch up before she shook her head in disbelief.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come," she said softly, looking down at her shoes.

"Oh come on! Do you know how much time we saved doing that homework together?"

They walked together down the hallway, which led to the staircase. She adjusted the straps on her bag nervously and when they got to the stairs, he reached out to place a protective hand on her back.

"It was fun, though. Seriously... we need to do it again," he said as they made it outside and approached her car.

"Definitely," she agreed. "But maybe next time, at my place." She turned her back against her car, pressing up against it as he took a few steps closer to her. He gave her a suggestive, playful look at her words and she laughed. "Or the library." Looking up at the balcony she was just on, she licked her lips and looked back at Mulder with concern in her eyes. "She didn't look so excited to meet me."

"Forget about her. She's like that with everyone," Mulder said, brushing off the topic. "Listen... you be careful on your way home and um... call me!" He reached into his pocket to grab an ink pen and when he looked back up at her, saw a silly grin on her face. "That way I know you made it home okay," he reasoned and she nodded amusingly.

"Right." He gently grabbed her hand, writing down the number to the phone in his apartment. When he was done writing the number, she held up her hand for him to see and bit her bottom lip. "I will call you the second I make it home," she offered, then extended her other hand out for him to shake. When he realized what she was doing, though, he shook his head and moved in to wrap his arms around her. She froze up at first, but when he pulled her in for a hug, she relaxed in his hold and gently patted his back. "I'll see you Friday... _Fox_."

* * *

**A/N: And there it is! They've finally met! Haha! How was this? Suspenseful enough? Let me give you guys a little hint about the future chapters... they get more cute! :) Hahaha. You guys review and let me know if you liked it! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: So here's chapter four! We're in September now, in the story. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing and whatnot! I love you all! Sorry for any grammar mistakes!  
**

**:]**

* * *

SEPTEMBER

The library was unusually crowded for a Friday. Scully reasoned that with finals coming up next month, people were getting a head start on their studying. She climbed the first flight of stairs which led to a less crowded second floor. Carefully letting the door close behind her, she tightened the straps on her bag and walked around until she found an empty desk pushed up against one of the windows. She set her things down and took a seat. It wasn't long until she felt a soft tap on her shoulder and when she turned to see who it was, there was no one behind her.

"Every time," he whispered, causing her to turn sharply in her seat to find Mulder sitting right next to her, on the completely opposite side she thought he was. She held in her laughter and shoved him, trying to knock him out of his seat. "Feisty." This caused her to laugh out loud and earn a few disapproving looks from other students around them.

"What are you doing here," she asked quietly, settling back into her own seat and opening up her notebook.

"It's a public library. I'm a grown man. I do what I want." She snorted a bit at his last comment and got back to her notes. He ducked his head a little to get a better look at her face, knowing well why she was acting the way she was. The past couple of weeks had been... confusing, to say the least. He found himself making excuses left and right to get out of the apartment... to get away from Diana and to be with Scully. Diana wasn't oblivious to what was going on either. It wasn't enough that he was going out of his way during school to see Scully, but even after class was over and he was at home with Diana.

In a short few weeks, they had grown close and that was something Diana didn't like. Though no matter how many times he would leave the apartment to go "hang out" with her or stay late on campus to "study" with her, Diana would keep all of her feelings to herself; refusing to let him know just how jealous she was.

"So... it's Friday," he said, watching her face for any change in expression. All she did though was look up from her notes and stare at him.

"Yes. It is."

"There's a bonfire tonight, incase you haven't heard."

"Oh, I've heard about it."

"So... do you want to go?"

"Mulder, I don't know. Don't you think we're a little... old for that?" He reached over suddenly and closed the notebook she had opened in front of her to get her attention. She sighed softly and brought her elbow to rest against the desk. She propped her chin in the palm of her hand and looked him directly in the eyes. "You really want me to go, don't you?"

"Well... yeah," he exclaimed, putting one arm around the back of her chair.

They earned more disapproving looks and sounds of frustration from the people around, and that's when she realized she wouldn't be getting any studying done today. She began to pack up her things and Mulder watched, then proceeded to follow her out of the second story, down the flight of stairs, and outside on the stairs of the library entrance.

"You can't tell me you don't want to go."

"Mulder, what do you want me to tell you? Diana doesn't want me there."

"Diana won't even be there! And how do you know she doesn't want you there?" She tightened the straps on her bag once more and tilted her head, trying to block the sun from her eyes as she gave him a well knowing look. "Okay, so she's been a little jealous lately. Big deal."

"Big deal? Mulder... I don't think you see what's happening here," she said, beginning to walk away from the library and for her car, which was parked across the street.

"Of course I know what's happening... I'm asking you to come to the bonfire with me... friend to friend." Scully unlocked her car with Mulder standing close behind her. When she opened the door, she threw her bag into the backseat and turned. She noticed just how close he was and had to tilt her head back a little just to get a better look at his face. "Besides... she's not even going to be there. She has some gathering that she's going to with her friends from work."

"Oh really," Scully asked, folding her arms across her chest and giving him the smallest hint of a skeptical smile. He laughed at her unwillingness to believe him and shook his head. "Mulder, the last few weeks..." She shook her head, unsure of where to even begin. The last thing she wanted to do, though, was to get into a fight with him. He already had so much on his plate with Diana and it seemed that Scully herself was now a safe haven for Mulder. "Alright. I'll go."

–

The sun had gone down and even from the road, Scully could see the fire burning bright against the night sky. Mulder had picked her up from her apartment, after he convinced her once again that he was taking her and nothing was going to stop him.

"Who else do you know that's here," she asked as they parked next to other cars in the large field.

"I think my friend John is here with Monica."

The names were foreign to her, but if they were friends of Mulder, then they couldn't be bad people. She slowly got out of the car and watched as he walked around the front of the car to walk up to her.

"Come on. Look, we won't stay long if you don't want to."

"No, I'm fine," she said, allowing him to pull her away from the safety of the car and further into the field. As they grew closer to the fire and the people, she could already start to make out the music playing from someone's car. When they came into view, someone stepped out from the crowd, whom with a woman with long brunette hair followed.

"Mulder! You made it, man." The two shook hands briefly until the woman had caught up to all of them.

"Long time no see, Mulder," the woman said, reaching out to give him a friendly hug.

"And who's this you have here with you," Doggett asked, referring to Scully, who stood behind Mulder shyly with her hands in her pockets. Mulder turned and grabbed Scully's arm, gently pulling her to stand with the rest of them.

"Guys, this is my friend Dana Scully. We have Economics together." The look on Doggett's face suddenly changed and Scully noticed, but kept quiet. The woman, on the other hand, had no change in facial expression and stepped out to shake Scully's hand.

"Monica Reyes. It's nice to meet you." Scully gave her a genuine smile and returned the handshake.

"Nice to meet you too, Monica."

Mulder stood back and watched everything unfold. Besides Doggett being somewhat shocked that Mulder had brought the girl from his Economics class besides his actual girlfriend was a little unsettling, but he much rather this new girl over Diana any day. He decided to step up and put his indifference aside, long enough to at least get to know her.

"John Doggett," he introduced himself, also holding out a hand for her to shake.

Once everyone was acquainted, they headed over to the fire together, finding an empty spot not too far and not too close. The four of them sat down, knocked back the beers Doggett had brought with him, and continued to laugh until all of them were out of breath and panting. It didn't take long at all for his friends to warm up to her and this made Mulder happy.

"Scully... may I call you that," Doggett asked, finishing off the beer he had in his hand. She laughed and nodded, leaning a little into Mulder's side innocently. "Would you be a doll and grab me another beer," he asked, pointing to the small ice chest that sat next to her on the ground. She nodded again and grabbed another bottle for him. "I like her better than Diana already," he muttered when he had his new beer in his hands. Monica slightly gasped and nudged him with her elbow, but Mulder only nodded. "No seriously. Like... this!" He motioned to what was happening, the four of them sitting around, drinking a few beers, and just enjoying the moment. He then proceeded to flip his imaginary Diana hair and make faces. "'Fox, honey, you know I don't drink beer. Would you drive all the way back into the city and get me a bottle of the most expensive wine you can find?'" Scully laughed at his impression, then quickly realized what she had done and covered her smile with one hand. Monica gave him a look and then took a sip from her beer. "Oh come on. Look me in the eyes and tell me she never got on your nerves."

Monica couldn't do it. Mulder laughed.

–

A few hours and beers later, Mulder had decided that it was time to get Scully back home. They both walked back to his car and Scully climbed into the front seat, waiting for him to get into the car himself so she could thank him for such a fun night. He had stopped drinking after his second beer, aware that he'd have to drive Scully home.

"Had fun," he asked, watching as she struggled with her seat belt for a few seconds.

"A lot of fun. Your friends are hilarious," she said, letting her head fall back against the seat.

"Aren't you glad you came with me," he said, finally rubbing it in her face that maybe he was right all along.

He kept her talking during the entire ride back to her apartment and when he pulled into the complex's parking lot, shut off the engine and watched as she unbuckled herself from the seat. He got out of the car and walked over to help her out. She stumbled a little bit, but he wrapped an arm around her and steadied her as he guided her to her apartment.

She walked ahead of him, reaching into her purse for her keys and grabbed a hold of her doorknob. She leaned back, pressing into his chest and letting her head fall back just below his shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled, then unlocked her door and pushed it open.

He had almost began to follow her in, his eyes set on her, but she turned last minute and held out her hand, which kept him at bay.

"You should probably get back to Diana." It came out a little more aggressive than she had wanted, but she knew she had gotten her point across. "I wouldn't want her to worry about you."

"Aw, Scully... come on." He stepped into her apartment and shut the door behind him. He knew he was crossing a line, but if she wanted him to leave, he would've been gone already. It was the first time he had ever really been inside of her apartment, but he noticed just how neat and organized it was. She lived by herself, which was another appealing aspect of her, and he couldn't help but feel the need to stay with her tonight.

"Thank you again for bringing me home," she whispered. He was standing dangerously close to her now, tempted to reach out for her, but kept his arms by his sides. She reached up and untied her hair, letting her soft curls come down and frame her face. He marveled at how beautiful she was. She reached out again, placing both of her hands on his chest and leaned up on her toes to bring her lips close to his ear. "Call me..." She could feel his heart pound against her hands. "That way I know you made it home okay," she whispered again, her lips brushing ever so softly against his ear. She fell back on her feet and grinned at him, then backed away and began to lift her shirt up as she walked further back to her bedroom.

–

Carefully, he unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped through. It was dark and empty. Throwing his keys onto the kitchen table, he hesitated when he reached the phone hanging up on the wall. Diana followed in not too long after and was surprised to see him standing there, in front of the phone.

"You're home late," he commented, backing away from the phone and shrugging off his jacket. She closed the door behind her and hung up her car keys.

"Looks like you barely beat me here," she commented back, slipping off her jacket as well.

"Well I had to drive Scully back to her apartment and I wanted to make sure she was okay before I left her," he answered truthfully, before heading into the living room and falling back onto his leather couch. At the mention of her name, Diana's jaw tightened and she followed him into the living room.

"Where did you two go," she asked suddenly.

"Bonfire." He smirked a little. "You even missed John and Monica." He knew that she didn't particularly care for his friends. "It was fun. Just a little gathering of friends." But it was enough about him now. "What did you tonight?"

The question caught her off guard, but she was quick to think of the excuse she had told him earlier that morning.

"The girls from work invited me out." Mulder nodded his head.

"Any crazy stories? Oh I bet... what's her name... Karen? I've been seeing her around campus lately. I wonder if she'll have any crazy stories about tonight." Diana crossed her arms over her chest. She knew she had been caught at her own game. There was no night out with her friends from work.

And Mulder knew that very well.

* * *

**A/N: Oooh! So Mulder is suspicious of Diana, Diana is suspicious of Mulder... Scully is just being rational ol' Scully. Hahah. Sorry for any grammar mistakes. Hope you guys enjoyed this! Review and let me know if you want more! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I'm moving out Saturday, into my new apartment, which is closer to campus and I'm so freakin' excited. Plus, I've been working a lot like crazy to be able to afford it. Hahaha. Sorry for any grammar mistakes and thanks to EVERYONE who is reviewing, reading, following, whatever the case may be. I love you guys! :) And just to keep you guys updated, the story is still in mid-September :) HAPPY READING  
**

**:]**

* * *

Monday came too quickly for her, but despite her longing to stay in bed and skip class, she rolled out of her bed and got ready for another day of classes. After taking a shower and fixing her hair, she shuffled back into her room to get dressed. She knew it would be a hot day out, so she went with a pair of jean shorts, a white tanktop, and one of her old flannel button downs, which she left undone and rolled up the sleeves. She slipped on her old pair of Converse and was out of the door.

Arriving on campus, she searched around the courtyard for any signs of Mulder, but when she didn't see him, decided to head up to the Biology building. It didn't take her long to get into Daniel's office, where he opened his door and ushered her in. She plopped down onto the couch and crossed her arms.

"Casual Monday," he asked, going over her choice in attire. She followed his eyes and shrugged, the least of her worries being her clothes. "I can't blame you. It's pretty warm outside." She nodded. "How was your weekend?"

"It was pretty fun," she answered, the first time she talked since she had walked into the office. He lowered his head, searching through his desk for his lecture notes, which was always a signal for her to elaborate more. "I went to that bonfire with a few people... it was nice." He looked up at this and saw that she was looking down into her lap, a smile spread across her face. His heart warmed up at the idea of her making even more friends.

"Well that's good. I'm glad you had a nice weekend." She nodded and when she noticed what time it was, pushed herself up from the couch and threw her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll let you get back to work. Just wanted to check in and make sure everything was okay." She stood in front of his desk now, looking down at him as he leaned back in his chair. She was finally coming to terms with what had happened months ago; how she almost made a mistake and ruined his marriage. The look she had passed on let him know that, too. He couldn't bare to look her in the eyes, ashamed of himself for what he had done to her.

"Take care of yourself, Dana." She nodded silently and headed for the door, but his voice caught her for the last time. "You know where to find me if you need anything... ever."

–

Walking outside, she had to narrow her eyes from the sun. She stopped for a few seconds, debating on what to do before she headed to class. It didn't take her long to spot him... and Diana. They were across the courtyard, seated at one of the stone tables near the math department. Mulder, with his back turned towards Scully, seemed to be hunched over something and trying his best to ignore Diana and her friends, who also sat at the table.

Scully hesitated for a moment, taking a step towards them and then stopping. Sighing, she reasoned that the worst thing that could happen would be for him to explain that he was busy and she'd go along to class and wait for it to start. When she grew closer to the table, she realized he had his head buried in his Economics book.

She rushed over to his side and leaned close to his shoulder.

"Figured out the CPI yet?" He jumped a little at her sudden voice, but smiled and turned slightly to see her standing next to him. "Don't feel bad. It took me a few practice problems to fully understand it."

"Good! Maybe you can help me out then. I've been struggling all morning." Scully nodded and sat down across from Mulder, next to one of Diana's friends. She shrugged off her book bag and looked at Diana, offering up a polite smile.

"Good morning, Diana." The older woman, ignoring her friend's pleas to hurry off to class, let her eyes linger on Scully. Diana was quick to offer up a smile, though, and return the greeting.

"Morning, Dana." Diana turned to Mulder after looking over Scully one last time and caught his attention with her hand on his arm. He turned his head to look at her and she swooped in to press her lips to his, all in front of Scully. The kiss only lasted a second or two, but it felt like forever for Scully, who sat staring down at Mulder's book. "See you after work," she whispered to him, before getting up from the table and catching up with her friends, leaving Mulder alone with Scully.

Scully waited until Diana was a bit further away from their table until she leaned closer to Mulder and smiled.

"What happened to calling me Friday night? I worried about you all weekend, jerk," she teased, reaching to close his Economics book so he would lose his place. He laughed and reached out to slap her hands away from his book.

"I was going to call you but... I just got sidetracked. I'm sorry." She narrowed her eyes and left her hands on the table.

"You got sidetracked," she repeated, making him wince at how unbelievable it sounded. "What happened? Got mauled by a bear," she questioned, making him laugh and pick up his head to spot Diana, lingering near one of her friends. Scully followed his eyes and when she noticed Diana staring back at them, nodded her head. "Oh."

"Yeah, it was nothing," he brushed off the subject quickly and opened his Economics book back up.

After helping Mulder with the Economics lesson, they stood up from the table outside and prepared to separate for their first class of the day. They lingered around the table for a bit, neither one wanting to leave the other just yet.

"You up for lunch after Econ," he asked, shoving his arms through his booksack and tightening the straps.

"Sure," she answered, slowly walking away from the table to head to her first class. "I'll see you in class," she called out, giving him a smile before turning her back and leaving him smiling like a fool in the middle of the courtyard.

–

She was leaning against the wall, next to the door where her classmates were entering. It wasn't long before she felt a hand on her lower back. She knew instantly who it was and didn't even bother to turn around. She felt the hand gently push her away from the wall and guide her into the classroom.

"First you forget to call me back Friday night and now you make me wait up for you? What's next, Mulder," she teased as they both took their usual seats.

"I'm sorry. We got extra points if we stayed after class to discuss our paper with our professor."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, waiting for their professor to walk in and start class. Suddenly, she turned in her seat to face Mulder.

"Oh, hey... did you have plans this weekend?" He raised one eyebrow suggestively and she laughed, almost blushing a little in the face.

"I don't know... do I?"

"I'm moving out of my apartment Saturday... I could really use some help."

"Moving," he asked, his tone completely serious now. "Why?"

"I'm not moving far from where I am now... I just found a place I like better. And it's actually closer to campus."

He nodded.

"Yeah, of course. Just tell me what time and I'll be there. I'll even help you pack, if you haven't started already." She smiled and nodded. Their professor walked in and set her notes down on the podium.

"Be at my place for about nine Saturday morning."

–

"We need to get a game plan for mid-terms." They walked out of the classroom together, side by side, and headed for the student union where they would get lunch. "I mean, I'll pull an all-nighter if I have to, but I rather not." She laughed as they left the business building and headed across campus for the union.

"We'll just make a ton of flash cards. I'm sure she'll throw every formula we learned back at us." He groaned as they made it to the union and pulled open the door for her. She ducked under his arm and walked into the busy union, waiting for him to catch up to her before heading into the food court.

She got her usual salad and bottled water while he opted for his usual turkey sandwich and bag of chips. They met up at the register and she reached for her backpack, where she knew she had money. He held up his hand and pointed at all the food, paying with cash for both of their food.

"Consider it an apology for not calling you back and making you wait on me." He winked at her and took up her food so she wouldn't have to carry a thing. They opted for one of the tables inside the union, being as it was a little too warm outside to eat anything cool.

She sat across from him and he set her salad down in front of her, then took a seat of his own. She reached for her bottle of water and unscrewed the cap as she watched him attempt to unwrap his sandwich from the packaging.

"So Diana won't mind you helping move Saturday," she asked softly, as if she weren't too worried about it. He looked up at her and gave her a face that confirmed her suspicion.

"What's she gonna do? Tell me no?" Scully laughed and shrugged. If Diana really wanted to, she could get Mulder to cancel his plans for the next month. "No, I'm gonna be there. Bright and early, banging on your front door."

"How... did you two meet, anyway," she asked, opening up her salad and tossing it around with her plastic fork. He straightened up in his chair and set down his sandwich, then opened his bag of chips.

"Her father and mine used to work together. We would always be at the same parties or events." He shrugged and observed his chips as if they were the most interesting things in the world. "Plus, she was in a few of my classes my freshman year."

They talked for another hour even after they had finished their lunch. As more and more people started to clear out from the union, Scully noticed what time it was and decided not to keep Mulder long.

"I should get back home. I have this monster Biology exam I've been studying for these past few weeks." Mulder nodded and stood from the table. "And I don't want to keep you from whatever... else you had to do this afternoon." He waved her off and shrugged.

"I had nothing planned." He walked around the table and came to stop dangerously close to her. "I'll help you study, if you'd like the company," he asked, knowing it was a chance, but he had to take it. She tilted her head back to get a good look at him, being that he was so close. She crossed her arms over her chest and her arms brushed against his shirt.

"You know what?" Her expression told him that she was actually considering it. "That... sounds like a good idea," she kept him hanging with every word, and he found himself smiling like a fool. "But I'm gonna have to pass," she whispered before taking a few steps back from him. He raised his hands in defense and grabbed his bag, taking a few steps forward to catch up with her. He reached out with one arm to wrap around her waist and twirl her around, bending his head low enough for just her to hear.

"Fine, but when you make a 'B' on that exam, just know I could've helped you get an 'A'." And like that, he was gone, leaving her the one with a big smile on her face.

* * *

**A/N: Ooooooohhh. What's gonna happen in the next chapter when he helps her move? Oooooooh, I don't knoww... stay tuned in to find out! hahaha. Again, sorry for any grammar mistakes. Hope you guys enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Sorry for any grammar mistakes... and sorry for the wait. I just moved into my new apartment, just like Scully... and I love it! I can literally walk to campus and it's awesome. Thanks to everyone who is still reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome! I promise I won't let you down!  
**

**:]**

* * *

He rolled out of bed around eight Saturday morning, trying his best not to wake Diana. He padded into the bathroom and took a quick shower, then made his way back into the bedroom and got dressed in one of his old basketball shirts and basketball shorts. It didn't take long for Diana to awake and when she did, noticed he was about to leave. She pushed herself up against the headboard and watched him finish getting ready.

"Going for a run," she asked, noticing his attire.

"No, actually." He looked up from tying his shoes and saw she was about to roll out of the bed. "Scully asked me to help her move today." He went back to tying his shoes and when he didn't hear any complaints from her, looked up and found the bed empty. He could hear the water pouring from the shower and took that as his cue to leave before she could ask any more questions.

It didn't take long for him to make it to her apartment. He seemed to be the first one there and was afraid maybe he had arrived too early. Before he could shut off his engine though, she had walked outside onto her balcony and waved to him. He smiled and got out to meet up with her. She led him into her apartment and he marveled at how much she had gotten done by herself. Everything was either in boxes or trash bags, and ready to be loaded up and moved.

"I've got everything pretty much packed and ready... it's just the furniture that I need help with." He nodded and closed the door behind him. She padded out in front of him, into her kitchen, where she lingered for a moment and came back out with two cups of hot coffee. She handed one to him and leaned against the living room wall. He noticed how comfortable she seemed, in her shorts, old shirt, and bare footed. He realized, just then, how tiny she was compared to him. "I've got my parents, my brothers, and sister coming by to help, too."

He nodded and finished off the coffee, then took it upon himself to go into her kitchen, wash out the cup, and place it with the rest of her utensils that were packed in the kitchen. She followed him in and washed out her own cup, then pulled herself up onto the counter next to him.

"Thanks again... for helping me move." She looked down at her bare feet. "I know this isn't an ideal way to spend a Saturday, but I really appreciate it." He leaned against the counter next to her, even standing with her seated on the counter, he still towered over her. He reached out to pat her bare thigh.

"Hey. I'm happy to be here." She looked up to give him a smile and as he opened his mouth to add one more tiny thing, there was a knock against her door and a loud female yell.

"Danes, open up! Reinforcements are here!" Scully laughed a little before she jumped down from the counter. As her tiny bare feet hit the cold tile, she looked up at Mulder as she walked backwards to get to the living room.

"I'll warn you now. If you change your mind about helping me move after you meet my family... I completely understand and I won't hold it against you," she teased. "Brace yourself."

She disappeared for a second, but he could hear well from the kitchen as she opened the door and allowed her family to enter.

"Hey guys. I'm so glad you were able to make it," he heard Scully say in her sincere, soft voice. "Really... it means a lot."

"Nonsense, honey. We're more than happy to help," an older woman said, Mulder assuming it being Mrs. Scully.

"Well everything in here looks all packed... what about the kitch-" Mulder almost had to do a double-take at the young woman who entered the kitchen. She could have passed for Scully's twin... if she weren't wearing a fitted, dark dress and had her hair pinned up with extravagant curls coming to frame her pale face. "Dana... I think you forgot to introduce us to someone." It wasn't long before the rest of the Scully family had pushed their way into the kitchen to see Mulder shyly leaning against the kitchen counter. It took a little effort for Scully to squeeze past her family, but when she did, made a play directly to be by Mulder's side.

"Guys... this is my friend Mulder. We have class together and he offered to help me pack today."

"Well it was more of a 'You better help me pack or I'll never help you with homework again' type of deal," he teased, reaching out to shake everyone's hand. He started with Scully's father first, who gave Mulder a respectful nod and firm shake of the hand. "Fox Mulder. Pleased to meet you, sir."

–

After everyone had their chance to meet Mulder, moving officially began. Scully, Melissa, and their mother had taken over the task of handling all of Scully's fragile items and organizing everything into the moving truck. Mulder had insisted on helping Bill and Mr. Scully move all of the furniture, which went smoothly with all three men working together to beat the clock.

It didn't take long to move everything out from her apartment, nor did it take much time to settle everything into her new one. It took only a few hours and before she knew it, she was settled in and ready to unpack everything. Her family had insisted on taking her and Mulder out for dinner, but she knew just how exhausted everyone was and politely declined.

"Well, Fox... it was a pleasure meeting you. I can't thank you enough for helping us out today," Mr. Scully commented, stopping just before the door. Mrs. Scully chimed in to thank him also, as did Melissa and Bill. "Honey," he leaned sideways to get a look at his youngest daughter, who had already started going through the boxes. She stopped and quickly walked over to where her family stood waiting for her goodbye. "You take your time getting settled in... and remember to call us if you need anything at all."

"Thanks, Daddy," she whispered, before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a hug. She kissed her mother goodbye on the cheek, hugged her older sister, and playfully pushed her older brother, then pulled him in for a hug too.

Her family left shortly after all the goodbyes were given, leaving Scully and Mulder alone in her new apartment. They had all made good time in moving and it was late in the afternoon. She had closed her front door after waving goodbye to her family and when she turned around, found Mulder sprawled out on her living room floor. She laughed to herself and walked over to where he lay, then got down on both of her knees and hovered over his face, watching him rest.

"Oh no you don't. We still have stuff to unpack," she said to him, poking him in every place possibly and trying her best to get him up.

"Okay, but when we're done, I'm taking us to get dinner." He pushed himself up from the floor and began to help her unpack her things.

–

It took about two hours for them to unpack everything from the boxes. All of her pictures, books, and collectibles were scattered around her apartment to her liking. The kitchen was clean and all of her dishes, utensils, pots, and pans were saved in the cabinets. Her clothes were saved in her dresser and hung in her closet. Her bedsheets were made up and spread out smoothly across her bed.

Together, they stood back in her living room and observed their hard work. She fell against him and sighed in relief, now that everything was over. He wrapped an arm around her for support and sighed along with her.

"Tell you what... you take a shower and relax, and I'll go get us dinner."

"Mulder, you don't have to. Helping me move today was more than enough. I-"

"Chinese? That sounds good to me. I'll be back soon!" And with that, he was walking out of her apartment before she could stop him. She looked at the clock that hung on her wall and noticed just how long he had stayed over to help her move and unpack. She bit her bottom lip, wondering how much trouble he would be in with Diana whenever he went back to his apartment.

She shrugged it off for the time being and made her way into the bathroom for a shower. A few minutes later, she shut off the water and dried herself off, then dressed in a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt. She stepped out from the bathroom, still towel drying her hair when he walked through the door holding two bags of food.

She smiled at them and he walked into her kitchen, where he set the food down on her table and waited for her to join him. She took a seat at the table and he reached into the bag to take out their food. He placed two pairs of chopsticks near her and when all of the food containers were on the table, he threw away the bags and joined her.

They picked and shared from the containers, talking and laughing as they both ate.

"I really can't thank you enough for helping me today."

"Happy to help." She smiled down into her lap and he looked around her kitchen, trying to think of something to keep their conversation going. "So... you know, you're even closer to my place now. Maybe we can hang out more now that you live just down the road."

She nodded her head slowly and began to get up from the table, collecting all of the empty containers.

"I would like that."

He watched her move about her kitchen, throwing away the containers, and decided that maybe it was time to give her a little space. He stood from the table and waited for her to turn to get her attention.

"Well... it's been fun and all, but I have some gold fish to feed." She laughed and nodded, then wiped her hands clean on a cloth that hung from her stove handle.

"Of course... Let me show you out," she offered, leading him to the front door where she suddenly turned around without warning, moving until her back was pressed up against the door. He stopped just inches away from her and inhaled sharply, knowing that if he brushed against her, he might not be able to control what would happen next.

She tilted her head back to look up at him and when she met his eyes, felt the tension run through her body. She reached out to grab a hold of the doorknob for support, feeling her knees grow weak under his stare. This was all too familiar to her... standing close to him, temptation daring her to make a move, but she had never acted on it until now.

"Keeping me from leaving," he asked in a flirty tone. She laughed softly, but her laugh suddenly died when he moved even closer, bending his head so his lips were dangerously close to hers.

A million thoughts were racing through her head. It all happened so fast. First, she was going to stop him from leaving to remind him about the midterm that was coming up and the next thing she knew, she was two inches away from kissing him. And Diana. Diana was already fed up with him spending more time with Scully... and if this happened, it would only make things worse. This wasn't something Diana deserved, as far as Scully knew, and she wasn't about to wreck another relationship.

She was able to whisper out his name before his lips came down on hers and everything she was worried about before seemed to disappear. He was so gentle and cautious, giving her a chance to back out of the kiss, but only for a few seconds. And when she didn't push him away, his hands came up to tangle themselves in her hair. He crushed her against the door and as their lips finally parted and tongues met, it hit her that this was really happening. If only she knew what was going through his head at that moment.

To him, this kiss was far better than he ever imagined... and he had imagined about it a lot. He couldn't keep his hands off of her and found they were now anchored to her hips, keeping her pinned against the door as he continued to kiss her senseless. Her lips were so soft and inviting... he couldn't stop.

She tilted her head back a little and slowly broke off their kiss. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to control her breathing. She took slower deep breaths after a few seconds, growing dizzy from the amazing kiss he had just inflicted upon her. She hadn't even noticed her eyes were closed until she had to slowly open them to see if he had a sudden look of regret on his face or if he had just experienced one of the most romantic moments of his life, like she had.

When she fully opened her eyes, what she saw almost surprised her. He wasn't horrified that he had just kissed her, or angry that he hadn't been able to stop himself, but more as if he were more worried about what she was feeling. When he saw that she was neither upset or angry, leaned back a little so they could really see each other.

And it wasn't long before they both reached for each other again, lips locked, tongues dueling, hands clawing, and clothes being pulled. But it ended just as fast as it began and Mulder forced himself to back away from her slowly. He brought a few fingers to his lips and then looked down at her flushed face. She licked her lips and arched her back against the door, then finally turned the doorknob to allow him outside.

"I should..." He smiled and pointed outside the door, as if to remind himself that this was the way out.

"Yeah," she whispered, looking down at her bare feet. "I um..." She was at a loss for words and was trying hard not to smile.

"Monday. Economics." She nodded and pointed to him, letting him know that she was just as flustered as he was... and that it would take all day Sunday to recover. He hurried out of the door and she smiled to herself, then leaned against the door and called out to him.

"Be careful."

* * *

**A/N: Bet you weren't expecting that! Haha or maybe you were! Well... I'm going to take pictures of my new apartment and post them in my profile so you guys can get a better idea of what Scully's apartment might look like. And I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes again. I get so excited when I write this story, I forget to check for mistakes. Haha. Let me know if you liked it and I'll update as soon as I can! **

**And to my best friend Andrea, who's going see Gillian in Toronto in a couple of weeks, I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY want to go but I can't :[ And I hope you have fun and take lots of pictures for me! Love you!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait again, peeps! Just survived my first week as a junior in college. All my classes are probably gonna kick my ass, but we'll see. Sorry for any grammar mistakes and thanks to everyone who is reading, reviewing, following, favoriting- whatever it may be, you guys are awesome!  
**

**:]**

* * *

OCTOBER

Arriving on campus, she looked around for any sights of him. She stood in the small student parking lot behind the Biology building, leaves blowing past her on the pavement. When she was absolutely sure he was no where in sight, she crossed the courtyard to her first class. Upon entering the building and walking into her lecture class, she took her normal seat and took out her notes to brush up on what had been taught Friday. But no matter how hard she tried to concentrate on her notes, her mind kept going back to one thing; how Mulder had kissed her just two days ago in her apartment.

She knew she was probably making a big deal out of everything, but she couldn't help it. He had a girlfriend who he went home to at night, who he shared a bed with, who he lived with. And she knew facing him today would either go one of two ways; it could be casual, like nothing ever happened between the two or he could make things as awkward as possible just to get a laugh at it.

Her lecture class finished up early and before she knew it, she was dragging herself to Economics. She felt her heart speed up as she neared the door, wondering if he was already there, waiting for her. But when she rounded the corner and stepped inside the room, his chair was empty. She sighed quietly and took her seat, mentally preparing herself for whatever may come whenever he walked through the door.

She busied herself with organizing her notes and opening her book up the current chapter to take her mind off of things. A few minutes had passed and she refused to look up at the door. Instead, she felt a hand against her lower back and she jumped at the sudden contact, turning sharply to see Mulder settling into his seat next to her. He laughed a little at her jumpiness.

"Did I scare you," he asked, an apologetic look on his face.

"I... no. I'm fine," she stuttered, feeling her cheeks grow hot. "I didn't see you come in," she explained, trying to disguise her nervousness. He noticed, though, and knew exactly why she was acting the way she was. He didn't blame her, but wanted her to know more than anything that he wasn't mad, nor did he blame her for what happened that night.

He opened his mouth to say something, to calm her down, but their professor came in before he could get a word out and began class.

–

Halfway through the lecture, thunder had rumbled over their building and all of the students groaned, especially Scully. She had forgotten her umbrella at her apartment and she was not in the mood for dodging rain puddles. When the class was over, most of the students had opted for staying inside the building until the weather cleared up.

"You up for lunch," he asked her casually, as they watched the rain pour from inside of the building. She looked up at him and opened her mouth to decline, to come up with some excuse to get out of it, but he wasn't taking 'no' for an answer when he saw how conflicted she was. "I'll take that as a 'yes'! Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her out into the pouring rain before she could protest. She laughed and yelled as she felt the rain everywhere.

"Mulder," she screamed, laughing as they both jumped over a rain puddle and dodged a bike rider who was peddling furiously to beat the rain.

A few seconds later of running and jumping over puddles and they were in the union, shaking themselves dry. He stopped her before she could walk ahead of him and into the cafeteria. He grabbed her arm softly and pulled her back close to his body.

"Hey," he whispered. She looked up at him, the ends of her hair dripping from the rain. He smiled when he noticed how big and blue her eyes were, staring up at him. "I'm not upset or angry about this weekend." She swallowed hard and nodded. "I don't even regret it. We can act like it never happened if that's what you want. I'm glad it happened and that's that. I've said what I needed to say. Now..." He smiled down at her. "Would you like to add any input?"

She quickly shook her head, a small smile starting to form.

"Good. Now can we eat lunch?" She nodded and lead him into the cafeteria where they went their separate ways to grab their lunches. They met up again at the register and Scully refused to let him pay this time.

"You helped me move this weekend," she reminded him. "It's the least I can do to repay you." He nodded reluctantly.

After she paid for their lunch, they took their normal route upstairs, to the outside balcony, and sat up on the brick edge of the second story, looking over the campus. They began eating in a comfortable silence until Mulder turned sideways, watching her eat.

"What's your schedule look like next semester," he asked with curiosity.

"Pretty busy, actually. I start my clinicals in January. I won't have a life," she laughed to herself and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "What about you?"

"I'll be pretty busy too, I'm guessing. Senior year... last semester... who wouldn't be busy?" She nodded in agreement and then, she turned to face him as if she had suddenly remembered something important.

"Speaking of... our mid-term is in two weeks. We need a study plan."

"You mean you don't want to stay up the night before, cramming everything into that brilliant brain of yours," he teased, reaching up to gently tap the side of her head.

"It wouldn't be the best idea we've ever had..." Her voice trailed off and she turned her head to look out over the view. She nibbled at her food and kept her bottle of water close by.

"Well meet me in the library tomorrow after your classes and we'll get started. I'll even bring some flashcards," he teased. He began collecting his trash and finishing off his soda, before swinging his legs over the ledge and coming to stand on the ground. She watched through the corner of her eye, but didn't turn around to face him.

"Leaving," she asked, keeping her eyes glued to her half-eaten lunch.

"Yeah," he softly confirmed. He stayed close to her, gathering his bag and books. "I told Diana I would be back before she got off of work," he explained reluctantly. She nodded her head in silence and stabbed at her salad with the plastic fork. He reached out with one hand and gently touched her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow. Right after class?"

"Sure thing," she muttered softly, bringing another bite of food to her mouth. He nodded and let his hand fall from her shoulder, gently brushing her arm as he moved away from her.

–

The rest of the day had dragged on for her. After throwing away her half-eaten salad and making her way back to her apartment, she found herself sprawled out on her living room floor with her biology book in front of her and notes everywhere. She had studied for so long, that she didn't even notice the sun going down from her living room. When she looked up at the clock on her wall, she sighed and allowed her head to fall to the living room floor.

After a few seconds of silence, she jumped when an unexpected shrill rang throughout her apartment. She dropped her pen and pushed herself up from the floor, making her way to the phone that sat near her couch.

"Hello?"

"Scully! Hey... it's me." She straightened up at the sound of panic in his voice and pressed the phone harder to her ear.

"Mulder? Is everything okay?" She could hear a little shuffling coming from the other end and narrowed her eyes, her mind coming up with a dozen different scenarios on what could have him in such a scare.

"It's Diana. She's burning up and she won't stop vomiting. I don't know what to do."

"Alright." She had brought one hand up to sweep the bangs away from her eyes and let that hand rest on her forehead. With her eyes closed, she began to think of ways to try to explain to Mulder what was happening. "Mulder, listen to me. You need to get her fluids... juice; no water or milk. She needs-"

She stopped at the sound of Mulder cursing under his breath, followed by what she made out as the refrigerator door slamming shut.

"We don't... we don't have anything," he calmly said back into the phone.

"Mulder, just stay with her until I get there." She quickly hung up the phone, grabbed her keys and purse, slipped on her old shoes, and ran out the door.

–

After making a quick stop at the local grocery store and picking up a few things, she made it to Mulder's apartment and parked her car right next to his. She grabbed the bags of medicine and supplies, then searched for his apartment. When she found it, she softly knocked on the door and was greeted almost instantly. When the door flew back, she was standing in front of a pale Mulder, with beads of sweat dripping from his face.

"Calm down," she whispered, allowing herself in and closing the door behind her. "Where is she?" He pointed to the bathroom and Scully took the lead, searching through the bags for pain relievers and juice. When she made it to the bathroom, she found Diana hunched over the toilet, her hair pulled back into a pony tail. Her eyes were rimming up with tears and when she saw Scully standing in the doorway, opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by another heaving attack.

Scully was at Diana's side in an instant, rubbing her back soothingly with one hand and holding her pony tailed hair back with the other.

"Diana, I need you to relax. You're dry-heaving." It took Diana a few seconds, but she finally was able to take in some deep breaths and slumped against the toilet, her dry-heaving spell now over. "When did this start," she asked, looking back at Mulder who was leaning up against the bathroom door.

"A few hours ago maybe. Why? What's wrong with her," he asked nervously. Scully looked back at Diana and lowered her head to get a better look at her symptoms.

"Have you been feeling sick like this all day?" Diana nodded. "Can you tell me what you've had to eat in the past 48 hours? Any meats, fish, vegetables?"

"I had a salad for lunch today," she spoke with a cracked voice. Scully had moved away from her for only a second to wet a small wash cloth, then moved back and handed it to Diana to clean herself with. "Cereal for breakfast."

"What about yesterday? What did you have for dinner?"

"Sushi," she whispered, suddenly feeling nauseous again.

"You need to try to eat something, okay? Anything you can keep down will help. Lots of liquids too, like I told Mulder." Diana nodded and pushed herself up from the floor slowly, then pointed to the shower. Scully and Mulder both left the bathroom, but not before letting her know to call out if she needed anything. Scully left a crack in the bathroom door opened and watched as Mulder walked back into the kitchen.

He sat down in one of the chairs and sighed, running his hands over his face.

"I can not begin to tell you how relieved I am that you're here..." He looked up at her. "Is she okay?"

She set the bags down on the kitchen table and stood in front of him with her arms crossed.

"She has food poisoning. A very common strain, from what I would guess. As long as she stays hydrated and tries to eat, she'll be fine in a couple of days." He looked at the bag she had placed on the table and she jumped at the chance to explain everything to him. She took out the juice first.

"Make her drink this. Water and milk will only make it worse. She needs sugar." He nodded. The second thing she placed down on the table was a bottle of pain relievers. "She's going to have abdominal and lower back pains from bending over the toilet like that. This should help with the fever too." He nodded again and watched as she dug through the bag once more. She pulled out a few packets of crackers and sugar cookies. "The more she eats, the faster she'll get better."

They stayed together for a while in the kitchen, softly talking until the shower stopped. Scully looked back towards the bedroom and began for the door slowly.

"Well, I hope she feels better. I'll um... I'll see you tomorrow." She nodded, as if to convince herself that it was all she wanted to tell him. She heard the chair slide against the floor and felt his fingers wrap around her wrist. He spun her around without warning and wrapped his arms around her in an intimate hug.

"Thank you," he whispered. She nodded against his shoulder and when his arms fell from around her waist, she showed herself out slowly.

–

Later that night, after Diana had settled down into bed, Mulder had brought her a packet of crackers and one of the juice boxes that Scully had bought for her. When Diana saw him, she sat up in the bed slowly and accepted what he had brought her, but frowned at the juice.

"I'd rather water," she spoke softly, placing the juice onto the night stand and refusing to take another look at it. Mulder shook his head and tried handing the juice back.

"Scully said water will make you vomit more. She said juice is better."

There was a sudden change in Diana's demeanor and she almost snapped back at Mulder.

"What the hell does she know? Why did you even call her anyway?" The ungratefulness coming from Diana was something he had never seen before. He was almost to the point of speechlessness. He clenched the juice box in his hands, trying to control his rising temper.

"She's going to medical school, Diana. She knows what she's doing. I called her because I knew she could help you." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her lap. She refused to admit she was wrong.

"Why couldn't she explain it to you over the phone? Why did she have to come all the way over here just to tell you that I can't have water? You just wanted to see her."

"Diana..." He had so many things to say, so many reasons for what he did. Instead of unleashing all of his rage out on her, though, he threw the juice box back onto the bed and began to exit the room. "Drink the damn juice."

* * *

**A/N: Just a little side note: I really don't hate Diana that much. Especially in the show, she was kind of a bitch at first, but she ultimately helped Scully save Mulder's life. I know some people love her character and some people hate her, but I don't find she's that bad. I just like writing her as an evil girlfriend because it gives me more to write about. If she were such a loyal, happy girlfriend with Mulder, this story would literally have no point. LOL.**

**But to keep this short, thanks for reading and I'm very sorry for any grammar mistakes that you were able to find. I like to read over it before I post, but sometimes, those errors slip away from me. Enjoy!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Ahh! Here's the next chapter! Man, I suck at updating this. Half of it was written already, I just had to finish it today for you guys. Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with the story and reviewing, and what not. I'm truly sorry this took so long to update, but school has been killing me. LOL. Sorry for any grammar mistakes; I just so happened to be watching The X-Files while writing the second half of the chapter. Haha. Enjoy!  
**

**:]**

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, the sky looked dreadful. It was cloudy, with no sights of the sun anywhere. She yawned and stretched as she left her apartment, heading for campus for her first class. She cursed her decision to schedule morning classes as she stepped onto the sidewalk, making her way to her car.

Once she had parked and gathered her things on campus, she made her way to the Biology building, where she lifelessly walked into her classroom, took out her binder, and began studying her notes. Minutes passed and soon, her professor had walked in with his usual cup of coffee and briefcase. The lecture started on time, as always, and Scully found herself fighting to stay awake. She knew the bags under her eyes gave away her true tiredness to all of her classmates, but it didn't stop her from taking notes and trying her hardest to pay attention. She found her attention drifting away from the lecture and more towards the window that was next to her.

She noticed how the sky had remained unchanged, cloud after cloud, blocking the sun. She sighed and yawned for what seemed like the 50th time that morning. She forced her eyes away from the window and back to the blackboard, where her professor was drawing out equations and formulas.

It wasn't long until she felt the need to look back up at the window again, as if something or someone were trying to get her attention. She tried her hardest to remain focused, but it lasted for all but a minute. Her head snapped up from her notebook and her eyes fell on the door that was propped open, offering a glimpse into the brightly lit hallway.

The pen fell from her fingers and a smile instantly grew on her face.

It was Mulder. Standing outside of her lecture. Pelvic thrusting the air.

She covered her mouth with one hand, trying her best to conceal her giggles of laughter. The warmth and color returned to her face when she saw him, and the yawns almost seemed to disappear.

It didn't take her long to realize the people around her were looking back, trying to figure out what was so funny. She played off her tiny giggles as coughs and excused herself from the room, making it seem as if she were heading to get a drink of water or retire to the woman's restroom.

She nearly ran out of the room and pushed him back away from the door while he was in mid-thrust. She laughed when she made it safely out of the room and pulled him further down the hallway to talk.

"What are you doing here," she asked, still trying to get all of her giggles out.

"Just wanted to make sure we were still on for our study date," he said, looking down at how close she was standing to him. She observed how energetic he looked, how his smile warmed her, how genuinely happy he was to just see her. He leaned in ever closer, to the point of discomfort, but not for Scully. She was used to him invading her space by now, and almost expected it from him. "We still are, right?"

Two could play this game.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down softly, looking up at him through her eyelashes. She sighed and pressed her lips together.

"Oh, Mulder... I don't know..." He licked his lips in a suggestive manner and she let out another laugh, which warmed his heart. She pushed him back against the wall and backed away from him, heading back towards her lecture class.

"Get out of here," she warned softly. "I'll see you in the library." He laughed and nodded, then watched until she completely disappeared from the hallway.

–

"You know, we should celebrate when all of this is over... the midterm, I mean," he whispered as they walked around the third story of the library, trying to find an empty table to study at. She hushed him gently as she spotted a table in the back of the library, pushed up against one of the windows. She made a move for the table and Mulder followed close behind her.

They sat down together and she pulled out her notes. He watched, quietly, as she opened her book and began reading over the text without saying a single word to him first. He smiled and reached over to close the book, making her lose her place. She laughed and leaned over to push him.

"You never answered me. There's a little bar down the road from my apartment. How about it? After the midterms are over?" She looked up at him and gave him one of her signature looks, one that told him they needed to focus on their notes more than planning a celebratory party.

They studied for the next few hours until her growling stomach had broke their concentration. They took a small break, getting up from their chairs and stretching, then deciding to walk outside for a few minutes. They left their books behind and when she felt the sun finally against her skin, she sighed in content and squinted her eyes against the brightness.

She sat down in the grass right outside of the library, directly in the sunlight where she seemed to almost glow. Mulder followed and laid down on his stomach, resting on his elbows right next to her crossed legs.

"How's Diana," she asked suddenly, picking at the grass to avoid his eyes.

"She's... feeling better," he answered slowly, trying not to give away his sudden anger. The ungratefulness Diana had displayed the night before had struck a nerve within him. Diana was never the type of person to help a friend, much less a stranger. Scully barely knew Diana and she was rushing over to the apartment in the middle of the night to help her.

Scully nodded at his answer and played with the grass between her fingers.

"That's good. I'm glad she's okay," Scully said sincerely.

"Me too," he answered back in a manner that told her otherwise.

–

Her high heels dropped from her hands and fell to the floor in a loud crash against the hardwood floor as her arms wrapped around his neck, their lips coming together in a fierce kiss. His hands ran up from her back and he tangled his fingers in her hair as his lips left hers and trailed down her neck. They swayed in the living room, both of them moving blindly to find something for support. They ended up in the kitchen, and before she knew it, her back slammed against the front door of the apartment.

"Are you sure we should do this here," the man asked with his lips still against Diana's neck. "Now?"

"I told you," she grunted in frustration, reaching down to pull his shirt over his head. "We're okay," she confirmed. His own hands began to work the buttons on her shirt.

Just down the hallway, outside, Mulder adjusted the straps on his book bag. The smile that was plastered on his face from studying all afternoon with Scully seemed almost permanent. He could confidently agree that of all the hours they spent studying, he may have walked away with half of that information still in his head.

As he grew closer to his apartment, he could hear muffled laughter and voices from where he stood. He slowed as he got closer and closer to the door, and only when he was a few inches away from it, could identify the voice he was hearing. It was Diana's... which didn't surprise him much, but it didn't sound like she was on the phone.

He pressed his ear to the door carefully, letting his hands push flat against the door for support.

"Besides... he's probably doing the same thing with that red headed doctor."

The words hit him hard and he backed away from the door as if it had burned him. He knew what was happening on the other side of that door and he knew it was best if he didn't confirm it. He let his eyes drop to the floor as the sounds of Diana's moans came through the door. The anger didn't set in until he pushed himself away from the spot and walked back down the hallway.

The bar he had mentioned to Scully earlier, the bar down the street from his apartment, was unusually crowded for a night like this. The first empty chair he spotted was across the bar, in a dimly lit corner. Mulder made a move for it and let his bag drape from the chair as he motioned to the bartender for a drink.

–

She sat in her kitchen, books and notes scattered about her kitchen table. She sat cross-legged at the table in a pair of yoga shorts and a hoodie. She had pinned her messy hair up to get it out of her eyes as she studied and a cup of coffee sat directly to her right, in case she grew tired.

Page after page, she studied her Biology notes until her head began to pound. She made a move to get up from the chair when she heard a soft knock at her door. She stretched and looked up at the clock that hung above her sink and almost sighed at how late it was. It wasn't until she noticed that she stood alone in her apartment, at such a late hour with someone knocking at her door, that she grew nervous.

Slowly, she walked up to the door and leaned up on her toes to peek through the tiny glass hole in the middle of the door. She sighed when she saw it was Mulder standing before her, and not some stranger. She quickly unlocked the door, worried that something was wrong for him to be here at such a late hour.

"Mulder," she whispered, reaching out to him with both arms. She knew he had a drink or too, but not enough for him to be drunk. He knew what he was doing and he was aware of where he was, at what time of night it happened to be. "Mulder, what happened," she asked, leading him into her apartment and shutting the door behind them. He stopped them as the door closed and stood with his back to it. He reached up with both hands, cupped her face, and stared down into her eyes. She swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat and her knees suddenly growing untrustworthy. She braced herself for what was about to happen next, but when nothing did, she opened her eyes and saw just how hurt he looked.

"Mul-" She began, but he cut her off with a finger against her lips.

"It's okay now," was all he said before he moved his finger away from her soft lips and replaced it with his own. They stood there, both frozen in time. His words raced through her head, picking apart it's meaning as his lips caressed her own. _"It's okay now."_ His arms wrapped themselves around her tiny waist. _"It's okay now."_ He pulled her body closer and she sighed against his lips, parting her own just enough to glide her tongue gently against his bottom lip.

"_It's okay now."_

Her heart fluttered and she smiled into his kiss, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. He bent down ever so slightly, just enough to get his hands under her thighs, where he lifted her up from the ground and into his arms.

She tilted her head down, letting her hair fall around both of their faces as she took a hold of his head with both hands, letting her fingers run through his hair. Their kiss grew more passionate with every second that passed and he had to stop himself from pressing her even harder against his body.

She had waited so long for this to happen and now that it finally was, it was hard for her to believe it. In the back of her mind, curiosity sparked and she began to wonder what had changed. Why now? What happened?

She broke their kiss off, panting for air and letting her arms wrap themselves back around his neck as he stood with his back against the door. The hadn't moved an inch.

"What hap-"

"Scully, I've waited so long for this to happen, and I know you're wondering what went wrong and why I'm here and why this is happening," he looked at her with a desperate look and she laughed. "I promise I'll answer everything and anything you want."

"When," she asked impatiently.

"After," he whispered before allowing his lips to claim hers again. He pushed himself away from the door and crossed her living room with her still securely in his arms. Her legs went around his waist tightly just as he reached her bedroom, pushing open the door forcefully and spotting her bed.

He fell forward, her back crashing with her soft sheets as both of their hands clawed and grabbed at their clothing. She pulled his t-shirt over his head and let it fall from her fingers as his toned chest came into view. She leaned her head back to see him and gave him a soft, shy smile, almost asking for permission to touch him. He answered with a kiss and felt her small hands over his chest, almost shaking as her fingers passed over his muscles.

Her legs fell from around his waist as he reached for her hoodie, gently pulling it over her head to reveal yet another piece of clothing. She laughed at his frustration and pushed him away gently, pulling her legs onto the bed and sitting before him. She stripped off the tanktop that stood between him and her skin. She grabbed his hands and pulled him down onto the bed, then pushed him to sit in the middle, against her headboard.

He watched as she crawled from where she was on the bed, until she was straddling him and comfortably seated in his lap.

Their eyes met and she brought her face close to his, her arms reaching around her back for her bra strap. But before her fingers found the clasp, she whispered a few words to him.

"We're okay now," she asked one more time, her lips brushing his ever so slightly and making him stir underneath her lap.

"We're okay," he finished, watching the bra drop from her shoulders through the corner of his eye.

* * *

**A/N: Still not comfortable with writing sex scenes, but hey- what can I do? LOL. I'll write some in a later chapter if you guys really want them. Either way, doesn't matter. I'll suck it up for writing sake. LOL. About grammar mistakes, if you see any, laugh uncontrollably because I didn't even proof it (which I should have :/)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Here's another chapter! I've kinda had a little break from work and school, so I decided to write today! Sorry for any grammar mistakes. And thanks to everyone who's reading and leaving me these awesome, kind reviews. You guys totally rock. And if any of you are interested, a few songs that helped inspire this chapter are: On Your Side by Pete Yorn and Search Party by Small Black. Yes I realize it's in the 80's when they were in college, but I don't use these songs in my fic ;) I just listen to them to help write it. Hahaha.**

**:) Enjoy!**

* * *

The class was slowly filling up with students, ready to take the mid-term. She sat in her usual spot and took out her notes, going over a few things before the test. After a few minutes of studying, she looked up at the clock and realized how close Mulder was cutting it. She placed her hands in her lap and played with them nervously, keeping her eyes on the clock and waiting for him to walk through the door.

She jumped in her seat when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a sudden pair of lips against her ear.

"Afraid I wouldn't make it," he whispered in her ear teasingly before pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her head and taking a seat next to her. She let out a breath that she never realized she was holding and nodded her head, laughing softly at herself.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I'm just nervous," she admitted shyly. He narrowed his eyes and let his bookbag drop to the floor besides his seat.

"If you're nervous, I'm afraid at what I should be." She laughed and played with the pencil in front of her.

"You have no reason to be nervous. You studied hard. We'll be okay," she decided, with a nod of her head as their professor came in with a stack of papers.

Scully was the first one to finish her test and Mulder was close behind her. He smiled when he saw her waiting for him.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" She shook her head and smiled up at him, laughing to herself how silly she had been to worry for such an easy test. They began walking together and when they made it outside of the building, she stopped.

"I know I promised we would get lunch today, but I forgot that I had an appointment with my adviser," she spoke up, tucking her bangs behind her ears and looking up at Mulder through narrowed eyes in the sunlight. He nodded understandingly and reached out to pat her arm.

"No problem. Maybe we can just have dinner at my place then," he asked, a hint of a smile starting to form on his lips. She stood with her hands on her hips, carefully, watching him.

"Your place, huh? Just yours," she asked with her narrowed eyes and nodded. "Okay. I'll be there later tonight." She backed away from him and watched his smile spread, then turned and headed back to the Biology department where her adviser was waiting for her.

–

He had made it back to his apartment just in time to catch Diana before she left for work. He let his book sack fall to the floor when he made it into the living room and saw she was hurrying around the bedroom, putting in her earrings and searching for her heels.

"You never came home last night," she spoke up when she heard his book sack hit the floor. Mulder could hear the closet door open and the sound of heels hitting the floor. "Don't tell me." There was a slight pause and then she appeared before him. "You were studying with _Dana_," she asked in a sarcastic tone.

The expression on his face hadn't changed since he walked through the door. He stood in the middle of the living room, staring blankly at her. When he didn't answer her, she began to move around the kitchen. Finally, he spoke up.

"Actually, I did come home last night." She stopped mid-step towards the door and let her purse hang from her hands. "But there seemed to be someone already here to take my place." Her eyes widened and she looked at him, all the color drained from her face. "Buy you were right. I went over to that _red headed doctor's_ place and did the same thing." He repeated the words that had cut him the night before and saw how she flinched at the familiar words. He could see the anger and hurt in her eyes, and even though he wasn't one for revenge or retaliation, watching the shock play out on her face just felt too good.

Her speechlessness was enough to let him know that what he had witnessed last night actually did happen and he wasn't just making things up. He made his way to the bedroom while calling over his shoulder for her to pack her things and leave. She was stunned for a moment, simply standing in the kitchen and staring at the bedroom where Mulder had just walked into.

She stomped into the room and threw her purse on the ground, crossing her arms over her chest. There was no way she was leaving.

"Pack my bags and leave," she yelled at him, furious. "And go where, Fox. Where am I supposed to go," she asked, her voice rising with every word.

He shrugged and pulled off the shirt he had been wearing, changing into something a little more comfortable for when Scully would come over.

"I don't know," he answered. "Why don't you give your guy friend a call and see if he can take you in?" He knew he had her beat in every way possible. This was his apartment, it was his scholarship money that paid for him to live on campus. The second she figured it out, she stood silently in the doorway and shook her head at him. "I don't know why you're still standing there," he muttered under his breath hotly as he walked into his bathroom, running the water from the sink and grabbing one of his razors to shave.

Through the corner of his eye, he saw Diana reach down near the nightstand that stood beside the bed. He lowered his head to splash the cool water onto his face and when he picked his head back up, his eyes widened as he saw the alarm clock flying straight for his head. He ducked just before the clock could hit him and instead, smashed into the bathroom mirror. There was a loud shatter and glass rained from the frame it had once been in.

He stood instantly and pointed towards the door. She stomped off after picking up her purse and slammed the door on her way out. Mulder winced as the door slammed and slowly opened his eyes to see just how bad the mirror had shattered. He sighed when he realized he wouldn't be able to even shave.

–

She had decided to stop and pick up a bottle of wine for the dinner they planned on having. It didn't take her long to make it to Mulder's apartment from the liquor store, but when she did, she found him still cleaning up the glass in the bathroom. She set the wine down on the kitchen table and noticed he hadn't started cooking dinner or ordered anything yet. She softly closed the door behind her and when he emerged from the bedroom with a handful of glass shards, she gave him a quizzical look.

As he dumped the glass into the trash, he looked up at her and gave her a small smile.

"Diana threw the alarm clock at my head and missed," he explained. She covered her mouth and moved over to peek into the bedroom, getting a good view of the broken bathroom mirror from the doorway.

"Are you okay," she asked suddenly, turning around just as fast to examine him for any cuts or scrapes. He gently pushed her hands away and smiled.

"I'm fine."

She helped him pick up the rest of the glass from the bathroom floor and when they were done, settled on ordering a pizza instead of cooking. He opened the bottle of wine and poured them each a glass, laughing as he handed her the wine.

"Pizza and wine. Classy." She laughed with him and leaned against the kitchen counter, swirling the wine in her glass with a motion of her wrist.

"In my defense, I thought we were having a home cooked meal," she teased back. He laughed and moved over to stand next to her. He towered over her, so to get eye level, she jumped up onto the counter and set her wine down. "You never did tell me what happened before you came over last night," she whispered, her cheeks turning a light shade of red as the events came back to her.

How he had walked into her apartment and kissed her without explanation, how he pulled her against his body and lifted her into his arms...

He looked down into his glass and nodded, knowing that he'd have to tell her sooner or later.

"When I left you yesterday, I came back here. I didn't even get to open the door before I hear them." Scully's lips pressed into a hard, thin line. "He was asking her stuff... like if she was sure she was okay with it and if I was going to be back any time soon." He laughed at the irony of it. He shook his head, refusing to talk anymore about it. That part of his life was over now, to his excitement, and it didn't help to dwell on it.

She had parted her lips to say something, to comfort him, but there was a knock at the door and Mulder clapped his hands happily. He pushed himself away from the counter and opened the door to reveal their pizza. He paid in cash and accepted the pizza, then set it on the table and opened the box for Scully to take the first piece.

They finished the pizza and the wine together, and by the end of the night, her face was flushed with color as she laughed at his jokes and stories, especially at how Diana had chucked the alarm clock at his head in hopes of hitting him.

"And the worst part is that I couldn't even shave afterward!" She giggled and set her empty wine glass down on the table. It took a few seconds for her to find her balance, but when she did, she pointed back to the bathroom.

"I'm sure I could help with that... if you still want to." He shook his head and smiled. There was something so precious about this moment, as he sat back and watched her in the dim kitchen light. She swayed back and forth from the wine and the smile never left her lips. Things were never this easy and effortless with Diana. "Come on. I'll try my best. I promise." She stumbled around to where he sat at the kitchen table and took both of his hands into hers. She pulled back with all her strength and barely moved him from the chair.

He laughed and finally got up, tightening his hold on her hands and pulling her body back into his for a quick kiss.

"Alright, but if you cut me, I'm pressing charges." She laughed and pulled him from the kitchen, through his bedroom, and to the bathroom where she ran warm water and filled the sink up halfway. He stood in front of the broken mirror and the sink, laughing as she squeezed between him and the sink to jump up on the counter, her legs hanging off the edge and brushing against his thighs. She reached behind her and shut off the water when the sink was halfway full and reached for the razor he had set aside earlier. With the razor in one hand, she reached for his shaving cream with the other and as she turned her body back around to face him, his hands had pried apart her legs for him to stand in between her thighs.

Her breath caught in her throat at how close he was and she trembled when his hands traveled from her thighs, to her hips, and up her side where they rested. She watched him carefully and let her eyes fall from his eyes, to his lips, and down to his shirt. She frowned when she saw it and set down the razor and shaving cream.

"You know, that's such a nice shirt. I wouldn't want you to-"

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered with a grin, letting his hands leave her body for a fraction of a second to pull the shirt from his body. He tossed it behind him carelessly and let his hands reclaim their spot on her body. She smiled when his bare chest became visible and let her tongue dart out to wet her bottom lip. She reached for the shaving cream again and filled the palm of her left hand with the thick, white cream. She reached up and carefully spread it across his cheek, over his chin, across the opposite cheek, below his nose, and down his neck. With her right hand, she dipped the razor into the warm water in the sink and then turned her body to face him again. He kept his eyes on her, watching her every little move as she brought the razor up to his cheek and began shaving the stubble away from his skin. "So serious," he muttered as she passed the razor over his skin again. A smile spread across her face and she squeezed him with her thighs, which only pushed him further against her.

It took her a few minutes to get every spot, but when she was finished, she smiled and let the razor fall to the bathroom counter. One hand came up to smooth itself over his skin and found that she had indeed not missed a spot.

"How do I look?" Scully laughed, looked back at the broken mirror, and then turned to imitate his every move, trying to provide as a mirror herself. "When did I become a redhead," he asked out loud. She laughed and grabbed the hand that was passing over his skin to put it back on her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a slow, passionate kiss. She inhaled sharply when his hands slid down her sides and pulled her legs around his waist. The smell from his shaving cream filled her nostrils and she wasn't sure if it was the wine or his smell, or both, that was causing her to grow lightheaded.

Their kiss grew more and more intense until she broke away from his lips to gasp for air. He lifted her arms above her head and pulled the shirt from her body, letting it join his on the floor. She gasped when the cold air met her heated skin, but it soon turned into a moan when his lips and hands were over her again in an instant.

"You should let me shave you more often," she whispered into their kiss, smiling as he reached to rid her of her shorts.

* * *

**A/N: I would totally write another chapter tonight if I could, but this week is homecoming for my university, so I'm going out to do a bunch of fun filled things tonight. Hope there weren't too many grammar mistakes, and you guys enjoy/review/love! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait again, guys. The semester is almost over so I'll have a lot of free time to write once my finals are over. Thanks to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and reviewing. You guys are awesome. Sorry for any grammar mistakes. I wrote this while I was watching some season two episodes from the show; Fresh Bones, Colony, and End Game. LOL. I guess they were inspiration for me to bring in Samantha. I was debating on whether or not I wanted it to be that kind of story, but I want to follow along with the show, so I have to. It won't be anything long and drawn out, but something defining that Scully learns about Mulder and it'll all make sense to her now about everything and blahblahblah you don't care. LOL. Sooo... enjoy!**

* * *

**NOVEMBER**

She sat cross-legged on her living room floor with her Chemistry notes and homework in front of her. Mulder sat behind her on the couch, flipping through television stations, glancing down at her every now and then to find her tapping her pencil anxiously against her book and twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. She had insisted on him making himself comfortable while she studied, but he still couldn't manage to take his eyes off of her. She felt his stare and turned her head slowly, giving him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry. I'm almost done, I promise."

"It's fine… take your time."

She got back to her homework in a hurry, finishing up in a few minutes as she had promised. She closed her book, saved her notes, and pushed herself up from the floor to sit on the couch next to Mulder. She leaned into him, sighing when her back met the comfortable cushions of her couch. He wrapped his arm around her as he settled on a television show and set the remote down.

"When do you think we'll get our exams back," he asked about their Economy mid-term. She shrugged against him and looked up at him.

"Not sure. Probably soon. Why? Are you nervous," she teased him, which earned her a mocking glare and a tickle to her thigh. She squirmed against him as he squeezed her thigh, getting the most adorable sounds from her. He stopped when she began pleading and put his arm back around her. "So um…" She giggled, rubbing her thigh. "What are you doing for Thanksgiving," she asked.

"That's not for a couple of weeks. I haven't given it much thought."

"You don't celebrate with your family?"

"Well I used to. They live a couple of hours away, so I guess it's easier for them to celebrate without me." It wasn't a complete lie, he convinced himself, but part of him felt bad for not telling her the complete truth. And it was that he hadn't celebrated a single holiday with his family since Samantha went missing.

"Well maybe you should visit with them this year," she offered.

"What? You trying to get rid of me already?" She laughed and shook her head.

"No, I just know how my family gets when they haven't seen me in a while. I know how excited they get when I go home to visit. I just figured maybe your family is the same." She turned sideways, her eyes lighting up at her next idea. "And you can bring me to meet them." She saw the amused look on his face and shrugged off her excitement as best as she could. "I mean... if you want to."

"Christmas. I promise." She nodded and then slapped his thigh lightly.

"Fine, but I'm dragging you to my family's Thanksgiving, then." He rolled his eyes and groaned teasingly, earning him a playful slap on his arm.

A few hours later, she leaned against the door frame, looking up at him as he stood outside of her apartment, with his hands in his pockets.

"Are you sure you have to go," she asked for the fifth time that night. He smiled sadly and nodded.

"I have a few things to do around my place and my own test to study for." She frowned at this, but knew she'd see him the next day. "Tomorrow, we'll do something fun, okay?" She nodded in agreement and leaned up on her toes to meet him halfway for a kiss.

–

He made it home quickly, realizing how much material he had to study for his Psychology exam the next day. He knew it would be relatively easy, but not wanting to take any chances, he knew he would have to review his notes a few hours before calling it a night.

He unlocked his front door, pushed it open, and Diana stopped in her tracks, with a box of clothes in her arms. He sighed softly and closed the door behind him, then dropped his keys to the kitchen table. She was headed towards the bedroom when he had walked in and once she saw he was standing in the kitchen, just watching her, she resumed her task of cleaning out the closet and dressers that held all of her clothing.

"I didn't think you'd be back so soon," she muttered before walking back into her old bedroom. Mulder could hear the cabinets and the doors of his closet being swung open forcefully and almost wished he had stayed at Scully's just a bit longer.

"I have an exam to study for." There was no emotion in his voice was he watched her emerge from the bedroom again with more clothes neatly folded in the box. She set it down on the ground next to the kitchen table and came to stand in front of him, close. He stared at her for a few seconds and realized that she was trying to come on to him, flinched back and raised his hands to distance himself from her. "Jesus, Diana. What are you doing?" He could see the tears welling up in her eyes at his movement and lowered his hands.

"Why can't you just forgive me, Fox? I'm so sorry."

"Diana, you don't get it."

"Please... Fox... I love you." The words made his skin crawl. As she stood in front of him and continued her babbling of love and forgiveness, he rubbed at the sides of his head, trying to come up with a way to make her understand.

"Diana, I know you're sorry and I forgive you. People make mistakes. But I'm with Dana now. All the years we were together," he stressed the 'we' and motioned between the two of them. "I've never been as... content, as I am with her." He knew the words were tearing her up inside, but she stood and nodded as each blow hit her. "She makes me happy, she likes my friends, she doesn't try to control my life." Diana's head fell.

"Do you love her," she whispered softly, quickly reaching up with her hand to wipe away the tears that were falling down her cheeks. Mulder inhaled sharply and looked around his kitchen.

"Diana..."

"Answer the question, Fox."

"You should probably go..." She looked up at him and he saw how red her eyes had gotten from her crying. She sniffed, nodded stubbornly, and picked up her box of clothes. She pushed past him, her shoulder colliding into his arm and knocking him back just slightly. The door slammed behind her and he let his head fall.

–

"She was just in your apartment? How'd she even get in?" The four of them sat around a small table in the middle of a local hang out, a pizza sat in front of them and bottles of beer outlined the pizza tray. Scully bit into her slice of pizza and set her eyes on her boyfriend, who sat across from her at the table. He reached for his beer and took a sip before shrugging his shoulders.

"She left her key to the apartment when she left the first time. I need a better hiding spot for my extra key," he realized, setting his beer down.

"Well what was she doing," Monica asked, sitting close to Scully and nursing her beer, also.

"She was packing the rest of her stuff." Mulder shook his head. "I don't know. It was just weird. And conversation worthy."

"Well did she say anything to you," Scully spoke up, after chewing her pizza. Mulder could tell she was curious, not mad or jealous, just curious. She reached for her beer to wash down the food when Mulder spoke up.

"The usual ex-girlfriend crap. How sorry she was and how she wanted me to forgive her." Scully nodded and finished off the rest of her beer, then set it down on the table. "Anyway, she left after I told her that I was with you. She didn't take it too well."

A certain satisfaction washed over Scully and Mulder could see it, in how she smirked softly and leaned back in her chair with a content look on her face. The table grew quiet for a second or two until Monica straightened up in her seat and looked at Scully.

"So what are your plans after graduation?" She glanced at Mulder and saw how intrigued he was by her question, also. The time caught up with her and she realized just how little time she had left. This semester was almost over and then the next semester would be her last.

"I... um... I haven't really thought about it," she admitted shyly. "I guess I've just been caught up in... school lately, I forgot about what happens after." She took a second to think and finally came up with a reasonable plan. "I guess I'll stay here, maybe apply to medical school."

–

The fire crackled and sparks flew from the flames, the embers below glowing different shades of red, orange, and yellow. The sun had gone down hours earlier and the four of them sat around the fire, John or Mulder occasionally getting up now and then to add wood to the fire. John took his place back into one of the lawn chairs with Monica in his lap. Mulder offered the last chair to Scully, who took it with a grateful smile. When she settled into her chair, Mulder had taken a seat on the ground, leaning against Scully's legs and letting his head fall back onto her thighs occasionally to look up at her.

The minutes had passed as they talked and laughed about their most embarrassing moments on campus. Monica's story had everyone almost in tears, even Scully who fought hard to not laugh at her friend's misfortune.

"You set it on fire," Mulder asked, in disbelief.

"Making popcorn isn't as easy as you think it is," Monica yelled back in defense, causing John throw his head back in more laughter. The night went on and on until all four of them grew tired and restless. The fire was seconds from burning out and it wasn't until Mulder pushed himself up from the ground that everyone realized just how late it was. He held his hand out and Scully took it gracefully, allowing him to pull her up from her seat. She surely thought he'd let go of her hand once she was up from her chair, but he held onto it as he waved to his two friends.

"It was nice to see you guys again. We'll do it again soon."

"Stop by the game next weekend. It's the last home game of the season," Monica spoke up. Scully nodded and before she knew it, Mulder was dragging her away from the fire and to his car that was parked in front of Monica's parent's house.

When they got into his car, she buckled herself in and he started the engine, then looked at her.

"Where to now? The night is still young." She laughed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Home. I could use a shower and a good night's rest after that Chemistry exam today," she spoke softly and leaned back in her seat. He nodded and asked no further questions. He drove them both to her apartment and when they finally made it back, he held the car door open for her and she led him to the apartment. She unlocked the door and allowed him in, then shut the door behind them and locked it.

"Not letting me leave tonight?" She turned with a surprised look on her face and went to reach for the lock again, but he stopped her. "I was kidding." He laughed and turned, making his way towards her bedroom while stripping off his t-shirt.

When he walked into her room, the first thing he saw were the pictures on her nightstand. This wasn't the first time he had been in her bedroom, but for some reason, this was the first time he had actually took pause to notice the pictures next to her bed. One frame held a picture of her and her brothers. He smiled at that one. Scully had been crammed between Bill and Charlie just as the picture had been taken. The frame next to that picture was a photograph of Scully with her parents the night of her high school graduation. She stood in between her parents, her diploma proudly displayed by both of her hands.

His eyes fell on the last picture just as she was catching up with him, pulling her sweatshirt over her head and letting it fall to the floor. She leaned up on her toes, peeking over his shoulder to see what he was staring at from her doorway, which he was blocking. She followed his gaze and realized he was looking at her pictures.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and dipped her head under his arm.

The picture he had fixated on was one of Scully and her sister. The picture must have been taken for Scully's 21st birthday, because both of them held up beers in the picture and were seated around numerous friends. The thought of his sister, Samantha, came rushing back to him. He almost felt guilty for not telling Scully about her sooner. How could he? When was the right time? Surely before she met his parents.

"What's wrong," she whispered. He looked down at her and smiled at how tiny she was.

"Nothing." She dipped under his arm completely, moving past him and into her bedroom.

"I won't be long. Don't worry." The door closed and the shower started. Mulder sat on her bed, picked up the picture frame that held the photograph of Scully and her sister, and stared at it for a few seconds.

He knew he would have to tell her soon.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for any grammar mistakes. I know you guys have been waiting for me to update this story, but I wanted it to be in November that I updated it... because the story is in November. LOL. I'm weird. Again, thanks to everyone who's reading, reviewing- anything at all. I'll try to write more later!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait. Ah! I feel like I do this every time and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Today, I took my last final for the semester and I'll have A LOT more time to write, now. I am sorry for any grammar mistakes you might find. I was kind of in a rush to get this out for you guys, so I barely went over it. Thanks to everyone who has favorited, liked, followed, reviewed- anything! You guys make my day and you're my inspiration for writing! :) Thanks so much!  
**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Thanksgiving had come faster than Scully had thought. In truth, she was relieved that she had the week off from school to rest. But that only meant that finals were coming up soon after and she'd be back studying sooner than she knew it. The night before, she had Mulder stay over so they could leave early to get to her family's house in time for lunch.

Her alarm had gone off early in the morning, before the sun had even come up, and Mulder rolled over to reach across her to turn it off. She pushed him back to his side of the bed sleepily when he continuously missed the snooze button. He moaned softly in his sleep and curled up under the covers when she lifted them to turn off her alarm. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of her bedroom, but when she was awake, she laid back down in the warmth of her covers and turned her head to find Mulder still asleep. She smiled and reached up gently to run her finger lightly down his cheek. He stirred in his sleep and for a moment, she thought he was going to roll over and turn away from her, but he didn't.

Instead, she felt him stir under the covers and before she knew it, his arms were wrapped around her and he was pulling her against his body. She sighed at how warm he was and allowed her eyes to close in satisfaction. She could have stayed in bed with him all day, but her family was expecting them and she knew they would have to get up soon. She giggled when his hand found her stomach and lightly tickled her.

"Mulder," she whispered. Finally, his eyes opened and she smiled. "Time to get up."

"Aw, but mom," he whined, getting a small laugh from her. Eventually, both of them got out of the bed and padded around her bedroom, getting ready. Scully found the clothes she would wear for the day and laid them out on her bed. Mulder dug through the small bag he had packed himself and found his clothes as well. Scully walked into her bathroom and turned on the light, then started the sink to brush her teeth. Mulder went in after her, towering over her at the sink and reaching around her to wet his toothbrush. "Taking a shower," he asked. She nodded and when she was done brushing her teeth, walked to her shower where she started running the hot water. "Hurry. We don't want to be late," he teased, shutting off the sink after he was done brushing his teeth. She reached behind her and caught a hold of his shirt before he could leave the bathroom though. He stopped and looked down at where her hand had clutched the material of his shirt and smiled.

"I have a better idea." She pulled him closer to the shower, then turned around to face him and began to lift up his shirt.

–

They were on the road shortly after packing her car with a few things, one of them being her Chemistry book and notes so she could study in case she had a little down time. From her apartment on campus, it took nearly an hour to make it to her parent's home, which was settled in the middle of a nice, quiet neighborhood. When they arrived, he noticed a few cars were already parked in the driveway and down the road. Across the street, other families welcomed their loved ones as they arrived. Mulder turned his attention back to Scully's house. The front door was already wide open, Mrs. Scully standing there with a dish towel wrapped in her hands. She was waving anxiously, waving down her daughter who laughed at how excited her mother was.

It didn't take long for Scully to get out of the car and meet up with her mother, wrapping her arms around her. The two hadn't seen each other since the day Scully had moved into her new apartment on campus. Mulder smiled and grabbed Scully's things out from the backseat of the car, closed his door, and slowly walked up the driveway to meet the two women on the porch. She smiled shyly when Mrs. Scully let go of her daughter long enough to wrap her arms around him, too. He was taken back at first, his eyes meeting Scully's in an unsure gaze. She nodded her head encouragingly and Mulder gently patted Mrs. Scully on the back, given that he was still holding onto Scully's Chemistry notes.

"I'm pleased you decided to join us, Fox." Scully noticed through the corner of her eye, how he almost flinched at the sound of his first name, but smiled when he nodded his head and smiled at her mother.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Well let's get you two inside." She ushered both of them into the house and he was hit instantly with the smell of whole, home-cooked Thanksgiving meal. There were a few more people here than Scully had mentioned. She looked up at him and leaned in closer to whisper into his ear.

"They won't bite, I promise." He smiled at her and before he knew it, everyone's attention was on them. He recognized Bill, Charlie, and Melissa instantly, giving them small waves from where he stood at the front door. There was an older couple seated on the couch, which he assumed would be Scully's grandparents.

Scully's father called out for his wife, from inside the kitchen, and she left their side in a hurry to rush into the kitchen to help her husband. Scully took the lead and walked up to her grandmother, who's eyes brightened at the sight of her youngest granddaughter.

"Dana," her grandmother said in awe, amazed at how much she had grown since the last time she had seen her granddaughter. Scully smiled and wrapped her arms around her grandmother, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek before squeezing softly. "Darling, you look stunning." She blushed at her grandmother's compliment and when she noticed her grandfather getting up from the couch to give her a hug also, broke away from her grandmother gently.

"Dana Katherine. Let me get a look at you." He held out his hand and Scully placed her's in his palm gently. He raised their joined hands and she twirled gracefully in front of everyone, getting a smile from her siblings. "Your grandmother's right, kiddo. The most beautiful granddaughter if I ever saw her."

Melissa laughed and spoke up from the fireplace, where she sat with Bill and Charlie, poking at the wood. "Hey!"

"And who's this that you've brought with you," her grandmother asked, scanning Mulder from head to toe with a subtle smile. Scully backed up until she at Mulder's side once more.

"This is... my boyfriend, Mulder." She looked up at him with the biggest blue eyes and smiled. "Mulder, these are my grandparents; mom's parents." He nodded and stuck out his hand for them to shake.

"It's nice to finally meet you."

Once Mulder had a chance to meet and talk a little with all of her family members, she led them over to where her siblings sat at the fireplace and gave each one of them a hug. Charlie, her little brother, received an especially longer hug. He was growing too fast and almost taller than her. Mulder shook Bill's hand and gave Melissa a hug, then ruffled up Charlie's hair playfully.

"How's school," Melissa asked. Mulder gave her a look and Bill laughed.

"It's not that bad," Scully spoke up, defending herself. "It's just stressful because it's our last year as undergrads."

"I remember when I was an undergrad," Bill teased, earning a playful shove from Scully.

–

When the dinner was finished and the table was set, the entire family sat around the table. Scully, Mulder, Bill, and Melissa sat on one side of the table, with their grandparent's, aunt, and Charlie across from them. Scully's parents sat on each end of the table. The bowls of food were placed strategically around the turkey that sat in the middle of the dining table. Wine glasses sat in front of everyone's plate, except Charlie's, who opted for a glass of water. It wasn't until Mr. Scully stood from his seat that everyone stopped talking amongst themselves.

"Tonight, our family has gathered with us to give thanks... and a few new faces that I hope to see every year from now on," he raised his glass of wine to Mulder, who nodded respectfully and kept his eyes on the woman beside him, watching her smile and take small sips of her wine while no one was looking. "Maggie..."

He took his seat at the table once more and Mrs. Scully extended both hands for her family members to take. The chain continued until it got to Mulder, who looked down at Melissa's hand and took it gently. He looked down at his other free hand and saw Scully reach for it. She squeezed it gently and bowed her head as her mother began to pray. He bowed his own head out of respect, but remained silent through the prayers.

When Mrs. Scully was done with Grace, she lifted her head and smiled at everyone, encouraging them to begin eating. The elders talked amongst themselves and Mulder listened to the conversations, the funny family stories, about the missed loved ones until he was stuffed with turkey and couldn't move. He sipped at his wine and noticed that Scully was done eating too.

The dinner went by rather quickly and when it was over, the women had retired into the kitchen to help clean, wash the dishes, and save the leftovers. The men headed into the living room, but Mulder insisted that he help clean a little. Mrs. Scully allowed him to help with the larger dishes and pans, but then shooed him away and instructed him to mingle with the men in the living room.

He reluctantly left the kitchen and found Charlie and Bill near the staircase, playing a board game. When Charlie spotted Mulder walk out from the kitchen, he called him over and invited him to play, which Mulder accepted. When their game was over and Charlie ran around the living room in victory, Scully was walking out of the kitchen, wiping off the bubbles on her hands.

"Your little brother killed us in Battleship."

"He's a Scully. What'd you expect?"

–

Later in the evening, Charlie had been excused to play with his friends next door, Bill had left to visit his girlfriend's family, Melissa had left a little early to spend the rest of Thanksgiving with her roommates in the city, leaving Scully's grandparents, who still sat in the living room. Together, the four of them watched the fire slowly dwindle down. The television was on, but the volume had been lowered once the football game was over.

It wasn't until Mulder looked down when he noticed that Scully had fallen asleep cuddled against him. She had her arms wrapped around him and her head rested against his chest softly. Her chest brushed against his side with every breath she took. A few strands of hair had fallen to cover her face and he tenderly tucked them behind her ear to be able to see her face. Her Chemistry notes were long forgotten and sat scattered on the sofa next to her.

"You know... I've never seen anyone look at her the way you do," her grandmother spoke up softly from across the living room. Mulder's head popped up and caught her blue eyes.

"Look at her how," Mulder asked, careful not to speak too loud.

The older couple shared a glance and the older woman smiled at Mulder, giving him a knowing look. It didn't take much to see he was in love with their granddaughter. When he didn't get an answer, he tilted his head back down and watched her sleep against him, taking in every little detail. Almost as if she knew he was watching her sleep, she tightened her hold around him and nestled her head closer to his chest, just under his chin. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath, her scent refreshing. And then it came to him. He was in love with the small woman wrapped up in his arms; completely, utterly in love and oblivious to it all. He licked his lips nervously and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

* * *

**A/N: And there it is! The second chapter for November. The last chapter for November will be up hopefully by the end of this week. Thanks for reviewing and reading and everything! Sorry for any grammar mistakes! Also, if there's anything you guys wanna see happen in future chapters, let me know! Say something in the review and hopefully I can work it into later chapters! Just an idea! Thanks guys!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'll Stay By You**

**Rating: It should be fine now. I'll let you know if it changes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files :(  
**

**Summary: A missing elective. A new found relationship. A jealous girlfriend. A second chance at love.  
**

**A/N: Sorry for such a late update. Started school again yesterday. This is November's last chapter and December's first chapter should be up shortly, after I finish my Chemistry homework. LOL. Sorry for any grammar mistakes and I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**:]**

* * *

She stood on the tips of her toes, reaching as high as she could. She grunted when she realized she couldn't reach and fell back on her feet in frustration. She let the second half of her fake Christmas tree fall to the ground and looked around her apartment for something, anything that could have helped her reach higher to connect the last piece of the tree together. It wasn't until Mulder came out from the kitchen with a fresh cookie in his mouth and a glass of milk in his hand that Scully's face lit up with happiness. She reached down and picked up the top of the tree, holding it out for him to take.

"My tall boyfriend to the rescue," she shouted as he effortlessly reached up and connected the last piece together. He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and watched as she began to dig through a large box of old Christmas lights, ornaments, and decorations. He swallowed the rest of his cookie, downed his glass of milk, and began to help her pull out lights from the box, which they then wrapped around the tree carefully. They maneuvered around each other gracefully, Scully ducking under Mulder's arm and Mulder reaching over Scully to wrap the rest of the lights around the top of the tree.

Halfway through decorating the tree with small ornaments, Scully looked up at the small chocolate smudge that managed to make it's way to Mulder's chin. She reached up and wiped it off with her thumb and smiled.

"How many of those cookies have you eaten?" He shrugged with a guilty smile.

"One or two." She smiled and reached up to playfully smack him on the side of the head. He backed away from her and let her put the finishing touches up on the Christmas tree before looking down at his watch. "Hey Scully, we have to leave in a few minutes if we want to get there on time."

"Mulder, the park is right across the street. We have time."

"Yeah, I know... I just wanted to get a few practice shots in before John got there," he admitted, peeking out of her window and looking across the street where the community park was. Every day that passed, more and more people would head out to the park to spend their day.

"Alright, let's go," she said, unplugging the Christmas tree and grabbing her sneakers at the door. She slipped them on and was out of the door before Mulder could even grab his duffle-bag. The stepped outside and the cold air hit them instantly, but it was welcomed. They both shuffled down her stairs as quickly as either one could and began racing each other to the park. Mulder had gained a good lead, but the cold air began to burn his lungs with every breath he took. He cursed under his breath when Scully came up behind him, breathing evenly and a little red in her cheeks. They laughed together as they both stumbled across the street and into the basketball court.

A few minutes later, John, Monica, and few other of their old friends from high school came walking towards the basketball court where Mulder practiced free throws and Scully sat on the small bleachers, laughing every time he missed, which wasn't often.

"Illegal practice time without the rest of the players. Foul," John yelled, running up to Mulder and snatching the ball in mid bounce, running it back to the other side of the court and placing it effortlessly into the basket hoop.

Monica smiled and waved to Scully, hurrying across the basketball court to get to her friend. She sat down next to her and shoved her hands into her pockets, trying to keep warm.

"Why do we let them drag us out into this cold weather to watch them play sports," Monica asked playfully, earning a shrug and smile from Scully.

"It's actually pretty nice outside today," she commented, noting how the sun had come out to shine for a few minutes even despite the cold. The two girls sat on the bleachers and watched their boyfriends practice shooting the basketball. Mulder looked back at the bleachers where Scully sat and winked at her, earning a playful smile from her and a slap on the back from Doggett.

Their basketball game lasted a half hour or so, Mulder's team winning by a few points. The guys ran up to the bleachers and sat around Scully and Monica, laughing and teasing each other. Mulder threw his arm around Scully's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. The smiled and leaned in even closer to him. The others began laughing and talking about plans for later that night, but something else had caught Scully's attention.

Across the park, strolling on the sidewalk with a lovely older woman strapped to his arm, was Daniel. He was bundled up in his winter coat and his wife strolled along him gracefully, taking in her surroundings. Scully's eyes met his and for a moment, she panicked. Daniel felt the stare from across the park and looked back, their eyes meeting. He had slowed his walk a bit, just enough for his wife not to notice the change in pace. Scully noticed as his eyes went from her face to Mulder's, and how his arms were wrapped around her waist, how his head rested on her shoulder, how their hands were clasped over her stomach.

She offered up a small, polite smile and he returned it without drawing any attention to himself. Just as he had come into view, he had disappeared with his wife, and Scully's heart beat had returned to normal. She hoped the day would never come when she would have to explain to Mulder why she had an affair with a married a man. But for now, she was okay and so was Mulder... it was enough to calm her down.

–

The group had decided to split up, agreeing to meet up somewhere later that night for dinner. Mulder had taken the lead to walk them back to her apartment. They had almost made it to the crosswalk that would lead to the other side of the street where her apartment was, when she had suddenly stopped and turned her head. Mulder hadn't even noticed she had stopped walking until he had made it all the way to the street. He turned and saw her crouched low to the ground, close to a small bush. He walked back to where she was, crouched down with her, and immediately saw what had stopped her.

"Mulder..." The small puppy she pulled out from under the bush had almost snuggled up to her instantly, seeking out the warmth of her jacket. He reached out to gently pet the puppy and saw just how badly it was shaking. Scully reached down to unzip her jacket and gently wrapped the dog inside her coat. "She's freezing," she whispered. The puppy lifted her head gently, giving Scully the most innocent look she had ever seen. Her tongue came out to lick at Scully's cheek and she laughed, scratching the puppy behind the ears. She was tiny, with big ears that flapped over and around her face. She had tiny paws and black fur everywhere.

"Let's get her back home."

The walk back to her apartment didn't take long and before long, they were both in her bathroom with the puppy, warming her up with a fresh towel and drawing a luke-warm bath. They carefully put her in the tub, which she welcomed. She splashed around the water playfully, hopping up onto the tub's edge and reaching out to lick Mulder and Scully.

"I don't see a collar on her," Mulder pointed out. "I wonder if she belongs to someone."

The short bath was over and they pulled her out of the tub, drying her off with the same towel.

"She has to be hungry," Scully fretted, petting her behind the ears.

"I'll run to the store real quick and get some food for her," he offered, reaching out to press a quick kiss to the top of her head. They exited the bathroom together, the puppy in Scully's arms. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a small, plastic bowl to put some water in it for her. Mulder came back within a few minutes with the food and placed another bowl next to the water for her to eat.

They sat on the kitchen floor together, watching the small puppy devour the food and drink almost all of the water. Scully leaned over, resting her head on Mulder's shoulder as they watched.

"So... should we give her a name," Mulder asked, smiling down at her.

"We should." They sat silent for a few seconds until she spoke up again. "Lily." Mulder nodded and called back to the puppy, her new name.

"Lily."

The puppy turned back, water dripping from her fur, her tongue hanging out in the cutest smile Scully had ever seen.

* * *

**A/N: Right so... my boyfriend got me a puppy for Christmas! Her name is Nymeria and she's the most playful little thing on the planet. I thought it would be nice if Scully had a pet too (but don't get too attached to Lily) LOL. Review if you love it !:)**


End file.
